By Allison Needles
The News Tribune
Gov. Jay Inslee’s executive order to close schools across the state in response to the coronavirus outbreak is set to end April 24.
But state officials are making arrangements in the event of a longer closure that could continue through the end of the school year.
A spokesperson from state Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s office told The News Tribune on Monday that the team is focused on returning to school in April.
“However, we are also in advanced planning for the potential of longer closures, including for the rest of the school year,” said OSPI spokesperson Katy Payne.
That preparation focuses on moving students from brick-and-mortar buildings to learning remotely, whether through online, paper packets or otherwise.
OSPI is communicating with school districts about a remote learning framework, expectations and other guidance related to the impacts of school closures.
When asked if Tacoma Public Schools is preparing for a closure beyond April, spokesperson Dan Voelpel said in an email that the district “will continue to rely on Supt. Reykdal’s office for guidance.”
Reykdal told KIRO Radio earlier this month it’s possible schools could close to the fall and beyond and that health officials are telling him the peak of the virus won’t be until May or June.
Scientific modeling might have given some insight into potential disease activity based on a number of factors, but forecasting a peak in the virus is problematic, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department spokesperson Steve Metcalf told The News Tribune last week.
“It is very fluid,” Metcalf said in an email.
Instead, the health department wants there to be not much of a peak at all.
“You may have heard about efforts to flatten the curve. The goal being not to have a sharp peak of cases in a short time but instead have fewer cases over a longer period. This is what public health is hoping for,” Metcalf said.
Still, the state is preparing for the worst.
“At this point, we have not heard from the governor that he is ready to announce longer-term closures, but we are working to prepare ourselves and our schools for the possibility,” Payne said.
