As Bellingham begins to bring students into schools, this is how some families feel
Parents were split about how comfortable they were having their children return to school for in-person classes, according to survey results released by Bellingham Public Schools.
The school district has announced that it will bring back the youngest learners and those who need more help, starting with kindergartners, on Monday, Nov. 2. Bellingham and other school districts in Whatcom County started the school year with remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school district said it will return students to school under the guidance of the Whatcom County Health Department.
A total of 2,144 people answered the question — it asked about their comfort in the “near future” — as part of a survey sent to families in October.
Here’s a breakdown of their responses:
▪ A total of 497 answered that they would be “extremely comfortable.” The same number said they would be “comfortable.” Combined, that was about 46%.
▪ A total of 444 said they were “extremely uncomfortable” and 441 said they were “uncomfortable.” Combined, that was roughly 41%.
▪ The remaining 265, or little more than 12%, said they were “neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.”
Parents also were asked about their level of concern around a number of issues that come with their students returning to school. There were a total of 2,128 responses.
▪ A total of 932 noted a high level of concern about “potential challenges for students to maintain social distancing” — or 44%.
▪ That was followed by 691, nearly 33%, who expressed concern about “adequate safety measures for cleaning and personal protective equipment.”
▪ Close behind were 690, with 32%, who were concerned about the “risk of schools closing again if health conditions change.”
In addition, the survey asked parents to rate their sense of urgency in speeding up their students’ return to school to learn. A total of 2,143 people answered the question.
▪ “Not at all urgent” was the biggest response, with 800 — or 37%.
▪ That was followed by 469 “moderately urgent” and 441 for “somewhat urgent” — a total of 43%.
▪ A total of 433 said it was “extremely urgent” — or 20%.
Bellingham Public Schools also asked parents to describe their children’s experiences with remote learning. A total of 2,163 — all of those who took the survey — answered the question. The responses were:
▪ A total of 701 selected that it was “as expected,” for 32%.
▪ That was followed by 611 who said the experience was “better than expected,” or 28%.
▪ A total of 364 parents said it was “worse than expected,” or nearly 17%.
▪ In addition, 344 said it was “much better than expected,” or 16%.
▪ And 143 told the school district it was “much worse than expected,” or nearly 7%.
The Bellingham school district also has said that it will bring first-graders back to school on Thursday, Nov. 12.
On Thursday, Oct. 22, the school district announced that on Nov. 12 it plans to welcome back the students who attend its preschools at Alderwood, Birchwood, Cordata, Geneva, Sunnyland, Happy Valley and Northern Heights elementary schools and Sehome High School. They will return 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. two days a week.
Superintendent Greg Baker thanked those who responded to the survey for their feedback.
“This input is important to us as we make decisions about remote learning and bringing more students back into our schools,” Baker said in his message to families on Thursday.
“We hope to continue welcoming groups of students back as soon as we can while still minimizing risk,” he stated.
This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: The list of schools bringing back preschool was corrected to include Sunnyland.
