Below are the latest COVID-19 numbers from Island County Public Health. Sadly, our community, like most, is seeing a significant increase in cases. Every four weeks, we’ve used the “Average Weekly Rate” (from the chart below) to evaluate the next steps according to our reopening plan approved in August. These numbers helped us get our PK-6 students back in school, but our plan also states that we must roll back to Distance Plus (Phase 1) if our “Average Weekly Rate” is above 60 per 100k on a review date. 

Our next official review date is Tuesday, Dec. 8. Unfortunately, it seems almost certain that the Average Weekly Rate will be above 60 on that date.  As a result, our school teams have started planning to move our PK-6 hybrid classes back to distance learning, and we urge families to plan accordingly. The first day of distance learning for PK-6 would be Monday, Dec. 14. According to our plan, we will continue our data reviews every four weeks to determine when we can safely return to in-person learning. The next official review after Dec. 8 will be Tuesday, Jan. 5. 

We’re sad things are at this point, and we know this news is very upsetting for families of children in hybrid classes. We understand there will be many questions from families about how this will impact their children. Our team is working hard to get as many of those answers to you as quickly as we can.  We ask for your patience and understanding during this challenging time for everyone. 

On Oct. 12, Oak Harbor Public Schools moved to Phase 3 of its reopening plan.  Oak Harbor Intermediate students were welcomed to campus during "Soft Start" conferences.  Hybrid instruction begins Oct. 19. 

OSPI mandates attendance through participation via your child’s Google Classroom. The work does not need to be completed at a specific time, but your child must participate in the lesson on that day to be considered present. Unfortunately, we are seeing that many assignments are attempted but not completed. This does not impact your child’s attendance but does have a large effect on learning and educational growth.  Please continue to encourage your student to make their best effort in completing assignments to the best of their abilities. 

We know barriers exist that limit your child’s ability to complete their school work. If this is the case, please reach out to your child’s teacher, counselor, or principal so we can work together to resolve any challenges.

We are asking parents to continue to check their child each day for COVID-19 symptoms before sending them to school. We are checking student temperatures as they arrive, but please review this Daily Screening list from the CDC and make sure your child stays home if they are sick. It takes all of us to keep our district moving forward in our reopening plan.