SEATTLE — Students in Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will return to full-time, in-person learning this fall.
Superintendent Brent Jones made the announcement during a news conference Thursday morning.
“The conditions are right, the pandemic is slowing and we have access to vaccinations,” said Jones. “We are creating the conditions for our children to come back to school safe.”
Jones believes in-person learning creates the best conditions for students but said there would continue to be a remote learning option for families.
“As we [return full-time], it’s really important to work with our educators, our families and students to guide this reopening,” said Jones. “The health and safety of our students is our top priority.”
The district will be working with public health officials to “come up with what we need to do for that safe return,” Jones continued.
SPS is working on a full return plan and intends to submit it to the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in June.
While SPS doesn’t have a “full picture” of what the return in the fall will look like, Jones said the district will follow the guidance of public health officials and does “expect a full return” for next year.
The announcement comes one day after state health officials said schools should plan on bringing interested students back to the classrooms for the 2021-2022 school year. During a media briefing, officials with the Washington State Department of Health said it expected to release safety guidance later this week.
Seattle Public Schools, which is the state’s largest school district, resumed some in-person learning this spring after Gov. Jay Inslee issued a mandate that schools offer at least a mix of remote and in-person classes for all grades.
However, the initial plan to bring students back to the classroom came after weeks of negotiations with the teachers union over health and safety precautions.
The Lake Washington School District and Tacoma Public Schools both said they plan to have students back in classrooms in the fall as well.