Washington School District moves back start of school
Washington School District students now will start school after Labor Day.
The Washington School Board on Thursday voted to push back the school start date by nearly three weeks, launching Sept. 8, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Original plans called for classes to start Aug. 20, a date that was approved under the 2020-21 academic calendar.
But Superintendent James Konrad said the delay will enable the school district to safely prepare for the students, faculty and staff to return to classes under the hybrid model, and to provide training for teachers on the new online platforms the school district implemented for its cyber program.
The district is offering a hybrid plan, where students attend school on campus for two days per week and receive online education the other three days, and a full-time online plan.
“It’s obvious we needed to make necessary adjustments because we want to make sure that we have safe facilities. We’re doing deep cleaning, making sure we’re setting up classrooms appropriately with social distancing, and just making sure we’re taking the necessary precautions to safely bring our students into the buildings,” said Konrad.
The delayed start also provides parents with an opportunity to make arrangements for day care and other family issues that have arisen because of the coronavirus.
“This was the right thing to do. This is a really challenging time, and things are changing minute by minute, hour by hour,” said Konrad.
He also noted the state Department of Health and Department of Education could make changes as the pandemic continues.