Okanogan County schools will open remotely per DOH direct

OKANOGAN – An August 6 directive from Okanogan County Public Health advised county school districts on that in-school attendance for the beginning of classes this fall is prohibited and that remote learning protocols will be used in its place.

Both the Pateros and Brewster school districts acknowledged the public health announcement on their respective Facebook sites this week.

In an online letter to parents on August 6, Pateros School Superintendent Greg Goodnight wrote: “Local health officials applied the state’s new Decision Tree for Provision of In Person Learning among K-12 Students at Public and Private Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic for Schools.”

The Decision Tree is part of the State Department of Health’s (DOH) K-12 Fall Health and Safety Guidance to help local health officials and school administrators arrive at a consensus for the fall opening format. The five-page document can be viewed online at doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/DecisionTree-K12schools.pdf

“According to the Department of Health’s Decision Tree, schools cannot reopen for ‘in-school learning’ until the infection rate is below 75 cases per 100,000 population per 14 days,” said Goodnight. “Recently, we have been over 900 cases.”

The decision means that the entire Pateros School program will be conducted by remote learning at the beginning of school on Sept. 1, Goodnight added. His letter can be read in full online at the Pateros School District Facebook site.

In a letter issued on August 9 to parents. Brewster School Superintendent Eric Driessen advised that Brewster’s school year has been pushed back from August 26 to Sept. 2 and addressed the latest DOH directive.

“The school district has tried many different avenues to allow students into the building for in-person school,” said Driessen. “At this time, the county health department has denied all of our requests, requiring us to begin school remotely.

Driessen added that the ability to return to school will depend on the number of positive COVID cases in the community. Driessen’s letter can be viewed in full online at the Brewster School District’s Facebook site.