Puyallup School District Will Not Reopen Classrooms This Fall

PUYALLUP, WA — Students in the Puyallup School District will not be returning to their classrooms this fall, the district announced Thursday.

Like many districts across Washington, Puyallup had been planning to resume in-person when the school year starts on September 3, but a recent surge of coronavirus cases and new warnings from Pierce County's top health official have pushed them to reconsider.

"I acknowledge this decision is not ideal and will result in challenges for everyone, but we must prioritize the health and safety of students and staff based on the current guidance from our public health officials," Superintendent John Polm wrote in a statement announcing the decision.

Instead of coming to class, the district will use what they are calling the "Continuous (Distance) Learning model 2.0." which it hopes will keep lessons as equitable and fair to all students while they learn remotely.

Under that program, the district says parents and students will receive:

• Weekly newsletters with important updates on their school
• Direct access to schedules and activities over Schoology
• Live and recorded lessons over Microsoft Teams
• Daily Attendance recording
• Technology training for families who need assistance

The district also says that all students in grades K-12 will be given access to a computer that can support remote learning. Plans on how those will be distributed will be announced closer to the school year.

Between six and eight weeks after classes begin, the district says it will reassess whether classes can safely reopen or potentially switch to a hybrid model of in-person and remote learning.

"This pandemic has challenged us all in many ways, but we will get through this. We have an opportunity to come together, learn together, and support one another as we navigate uncharted territory," Polm said. "We don’t have all the answers, but please trust that the values of health, safety, learning, and support are at the forefront. "

Puyallup's decision came shortly after Pierce County Health Director Anthony Chen issued a letter to superintendents telling them that he does not feel it is safe to reopen classrooms in September, considering the recent surge of coronavirus cases. Similar announcements have been made by the Seattle, Northshore, Bellevue and Kent school districts.

That surge in coronavirus cases has also pushed the state to make policy changes: Thursday Gov. Inslee announced several new restrictions on restaurants and bars to combat the coronavirus.