Lynden Christian welcomes high school students back to class following COVID outbreak
While Lynden Christian’s preschool through eighth-grade students remain in remote learning for another week due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the school, high school students were able to return to in-person classes a week early, the school reported in a news release Friday, Oct. 8.
“Our two-week closure was changed to a 7-day closure for our high school students who had a documented negative test within 48 hours of their return to class,” according to the release, which was sent to The Bellingham Herald by Superintendent Paul Bootsma. “It was implemented for LCHS in consultation with WCHD (Whatcom County Health Department) because case rates in the high school were lower than in PK-8 students.
“If students have a negative test and we implement preventive measures, we can minimize the risk of transmission, keep a healthy environment, and give students the benefits of in-person learning.”
Preschool through eighth-grade students are expected to return to classes Wednesday, Oct. 13.
In its own news release, the Whatcom County Health Department said that it has been working closely with Lynden Christian toward the safe reopening of classes and advising on implementing enhanced prevention measure consistent with the state Department of Health’s K-12 guidelines.
The health department said it agrees with the school’s decision to reopen in-person instruction and extracurricular activities at the high school level.
“In the past week, the health department has tested hundreds of teachers and students to clear them from quarantine,” Whatcom County Co-Health Officer Dr. Amy Harley said in the release. “As part of our work with Lynden Christian Schools, we considered the relatively lower number of cases in the high school as well as the school’s efforts and renewed commitment to prevention and mitigation measures, including universal masking.
“Given the particular circumstances, the shorter quarantine period was appropriate. There are many health benefits to in-person learning, and we appreciate the school’s hard work to ensure the safe return of their high school students.”
The state’s guidelines allow for a seven-day quarantine period for people exposed to COVID in schools if no symptoms have developed and after receiving a negative test result within 48 hours before ending the quarantined, according to the health department release. Exposed persons should monitor symptoms and quarantine for 14 days.
The school sent an email to parents Sept. 28 informing them that classes at all levels would be canceled on Sept. 29, and that remote learning would begin on Sept. 30 due to a “high number” of COVID-19 cases. Lynden Christian’s school board received a notice from the Whatcom County Health Department that it intended to close the schools, and the school board voted to start remote learning as a way to avoid a forced closure.
In a Whatcom County Health Department news release last week, the health department said it agreed with Lynden Christian Schools’ decision to close in-person instruction for 14 days and it was necessary to protect the public’s health.
Lynden Christian informed the Whatcom County Health Department that it had 48 cases prior to the closure, the health department told The Bellingham Herald in an email, which was about six times higher than the average seen in Whatcom County schools.
Additionally, the school reported more than 100 other students stayed home with COVID-like symptoms, the health department reported, and through the return-to-school testing of high school students, several more cases were identified and quarantined to follow the usual guidelines.
“Masking compliance among students was a significant concern,” health department spokesperson Melissa Morin told The Herald in an email Friday. “We know that schools have a heavy load when it comes to dealing with COVID and abiding by the state requirements, and we’re encouraged by our ongoing collaboration with Lynden Christian Schools to put plans in place for a safe reopening.”
The health department determined that the school had “multiple cases and/or exposures in nearly every grade and classroom and several classrooms and grades that met the health department’s operating definition of a school-associated outbreak,” according to the news release.
The closing of the campus was something health officers are reluctant to do and only done when other measures have failed to stop the spread of infection, said Dr. Greg Thompson, co-health officer for Whatcom County.
“Lynden Christian has worked hard to improve our compliance and increase our wellness team’s capacity to better comply with the Department of Health’s requirements,” Friday’s release from the school stated.
This story was originally published October 8, 2021 at 12:41 PM.
