Federal Way Public Schools to remain in remote learning through early 2021

While Gov. Jay Inslee recently announced new metrics for allowing in-person learning to return, Federal Way Public Schools will remain in remote learning.

Last week, Inslee and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal announced in-person learning could resume for all students in counties where COVID-19 cases are “low” (less than 50 cases per 100,000 residents) and phased-in for counties with “moderate” case counts (between 50 and 350 per 100,000 residents).

In a Friday evening newsletter, the FWPS district announced the area’s high COVID-19 rates will keep most students in virtual learning through early 2021.

King County remains in the “high” category (more than 350 cases per 100,000 residents) with 411 cases per 100,000 residents as of Dec. 20, according to the county’s public health data dashboard. Federal Way has a count of 599 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days, according to Federal Way data from the county.

FWPS Superintendent Dr. Tammy Campbell said the district will begin school in January with fully remote learning. The district is also planning and preparing for the possibility of returning to in-person learning later in 2021.

“We’ll continue to closely monitor the data … recognizing it will take 6-8 weeks (late February or early March) to transition from remote learning to face-to-face instruction for our earliest learners,” meaning pre-kindergarten through first graders, and small group instruction for students who may need additional support, she said in the Dec. 18 newsletter.

Educators within FWPS appreciate the district’s “commitment to health, with a methodological, deliberate planning to return when it is safe, including the high safety threshold of the Labor and Industry legal requirements,” said Shannon McCann, Federal Way Educators Association president.

As of Dec. 21, the Federal Way school district has 61 positive COVID-19 cases among employees, said Kassie Swenson, chief of communications for FWPS. There are currently four staff members with positive COVID-19 infections and these staff are quarantining. Swenson noted there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 transmission at any FWPS sites, which “speaks to the strict protocols we have in place for the safety of our staff and visitors.”

McCann said as the most racially diverse school district in the state, “we also recognize systemic factors causing our Federal Way community to suffer disproportionately, and that all recovery plans should center on the voices of those who have been most impacted by the virus,” such as Federal Way’s Black and Indigenous students, families and educators of color.

Safety, equity and support remain the FWEA’s guiding aspects. It would be nearly impossible to immediately change over from remote to hybrid or in-person learning, she said.

Some factors that must be carefully planned include ventilation quality of classrooms and schools, social distancing in hallways, access to sinks, transportation, location of health rooms and isolation rooms, restrooms, and areas for staff and students to eat meals, among many other decisions.

One student in the district has lost four family members due to the virus, she said.

“This all takes time to get right. It is inexcusable for any district to rush and cause preventable deaths,” McCann said. “Our students, educators and community have already lost too many lives to this pandemic.”