Amid new COVID surge, here’s when Whatcom schools start in-person
Students across Whatcom County return to schools this week, where everyone must be masked under statewide orders but only the adults are required to have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Classes will be in-person and without the hybrid teaching model that for some schools saw a mix of in-person and online teaching.
Physical distancing has been reduced from 6 feet to 3 feet in most classrooms. Students can take mask breaks during recess or outside between classes.
Students and staff should not go to school if they have symptoms or are not vaccinated and have had recent close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.
Superintendent Greg Baker of Bellingham Public Schools said in a statement that key goals for the 2021-2022 school year are to maximize in-person instruction and minimize transmission of COVID-19 among students, staff, their families and the community.
“To prioritize health and safety, we will take a layered approach to mitigate the risk to COVID-19,” Baker said. “This means we will minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our schools in lots of different ways: masks, vaccines, hand-washing, staying home while sick, testing, ventilation, distancing as able, cleaning, contact tracing and others. These layers, especially masking and vaccinations for 12 and older, are especially important as we learn more about the delta variant and rising cases. We will continue to watch for changes in guidance and modify our approach as needed.”
With no vaccine available for children under 12, local vaccination rates lagging among adults, and the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant growing across Whatcom County, Health Director Erika Lautenbach said at a recent press conference that it’s all but certain that classrooms will produce disease outbreaks.
“Even despite mask-wearing, there will be cases,” Lautenbach said.
Entire classrooms of students will be sent home, parents will be forced to take time off, and some people will become critically ill and die, she said.
“It is a question of when, and we are working very closely with the school districts to manage that. But masks are a key, and incredibly important tool that we have available to us, to not see these kinds of situations happening on a daily or a weekly basis,” Lautenbach said.
When schools start
▪ Bellingham’s first day of class for students in grades 1-12 is Wednesday, Sept. 1. School start and end times vary. First days for kindergartners are Thursday, Sept. 2, and Friday, Sept. 3.
▪ Blaine schools start Wednesday.
▪ Meridian School District starts Thursday.
▪ Lynden School District starts Thursday.
▪ Ferndale School District starts Wednesday.
▪ Nooksack Valley starts Wednesday.
▪ Mount Baker School District starts Thursday.
This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 12:21 PM.
