We continue to respond to and update our plans based on the guidance that the Washington State Department of Health prepares. DOH just updated its guidance on July 28, and we are working to update our safety plan to incorporate their updates. Here are some of the main updates from the guidance that the Department of Health sent out recently about expectations for this upcoming school year (available here).  

• Vaccination and face coverings/masks are the most effective tools to prevent transmission of COVID-19.  
• All staff and students in school buildings must continue to wear face coverings/masks, regardless of vaccination status when students are present or expected to be present. 
• While vaccination is not a requirement for in-person education at K-12 schools, it is the strongest protective measure against COVID-19 available to individuals 12 years of age and older. 
• Per the Secretary of Health’s Mask Order, face coverings are not required outdoors, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are strongly recommended for unvaccinated individuals when outdoors in crowded spaces or when in close contact with people from outside their household for a sustained period of time, as the risk of COVID-19 infection increases with the duration and closeness of contact between individuals. Schools should support students and staff who choose to wear a mask or face covering outdoors.

Yes. LWSD is following Washington State Department of Health Guidance that requires face masks to be worn when indoors at K-12 facilities for all school personnel, students and visitors, when students are present or expected to be present. DOH guidelines allow students and staff to remove their masks for eating and drinking. Masks may also be removed when outdoors.

While vaccination is not a requirement for in-person education at K-12 schools, it is the strongest protective measure against COVID-19 available to individuals 12 years of age and older. 

We will continue to promote vaccinations. As soon as the COVID-19 vaccine is approved for children under 12, we will partner with medical providers to hold vaccination clinics at district schools.

School will maintain physical distance of three feet or more, (measured from the middle-of-person to middle-of-person), between students in classroom settings to the degree possible and reasonable to allow for full-time, in-person learning for all students. Each school’s ability to do so will depend on students’ ages, developmental and physical abilities and available space.

Updated: 9/1/21

Please visit our Online Learning page for more information about options for online learning. The initial enrollment period has been closed for a few weeks, but you can join the list. Please visit: https://www.lwsd.org/schools/online-learning-option-for-2021-22.

The USDA has approved a waiver for the 2021-22 school year, which allows school districts to provide free meals to all students. Meals will be served in the cafeteria.

Schools will be implementing a variety of strategies regarding lunch. Each school has unique variables related to their physical layout, staffing and number of lunches. Each school has developed plans to accommodate and have taken things like distancing, cohorting and lunch locations into account. The Directors of Elementary and Secondary Education are working directly with our schools on their plans for lunch to develop a plan that meets the tenants outlined by the Department of Health. It is important to note that current Department of Health guidelines are different than the CDC for meal-time distancing, based on the requirement to provide full-time in-person learning. Please reach out to your school administration with specific questions about your school’s plans for lunch.

Updated 8/31/21

Daily health screenings are no longer required by DOH and will not be used in the coming school year.

Families should continue to check their students for symptoms and keep students home when they have been exposed to COVID-19, have symptoms of COVID-19, or are sick with other illnesses.

In the event that a student or staff member who was in one of our buildings during school hours tests positive for COVID-19, the district will initiate its positive case response process. The Washington State Department of Health requires the district to have a response and communication plan in place that includes communication with staff, families, their school district and their local health jurisdiction in the event of a positive case. Our entire positive case response process is outlined in the LWSD COVID-19 Safety Plan, which you can find on the district’s website at www.lwsd.org/get-involved/task-forces/return-to-school-task-force/covid-19-safety-plan. You can reference pages 13-17 for specific information about our positive case response process. 
 

Effective September 8, students who are absent between 2-12 school days due to quarantine (i.e., for being positive for COVID-19 or identified as a "close contact" of another individual that is positive for COVID-19) can access learning remotely through Microsoft Classroom Teams.

This support includes:

• Classroom teachers must share learning expectations and plans for the week with students and families via Classroom Teams.  
• A weekly plan for students should include required assignments and assessments, with any associated due dates, and may include links to resources. 
• Classroom teachers will make daily Instruction accessible to students who are required to quarantine via Classroom Teams. This daily instruction: 
  • includes opportunities for students to observe classroom instruction via Classroom Teams 
  • may also include the use of Classroom Teams to provide students the opportunity for participation concurrently in classroom-based activities, group work, discussions and assignments 
• A schedule for observing daily classroom instruction will be provided to students and families in the weekly learning plan. 
• At a minimum, time scheduled for students to observe via Classroom Teams should include opportunities to observe Instruction in which all students are participating. 
• Teachers have the discretion to modify or excuse assignments or assessments if they cannot be replicated outside of the class. 
• Teachers will not be required to use Classroom Teams to provide opportunities for students to observe classroom Instruction for absences that are not related to COVID quarantines but may choose to do so. 

In addition, special education services will be maintained according to the student’s Instructional Education Plan (IEP) either through Teams, with paraeducator support or by providing learning materials for the student. 

Added 9/8/2021.

The District ventilation plan aligns with Washington State Department of Health and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommendation. The plan includes the following:

• MAXIMIZE OUTSIDE AIR VENTILATION –  Fresh air is being maximized by setting all dampers to 100% outside air while disabling demand-control ventilation for maximum airflow measured in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute). This is the case for all buildings and portables. We are balancing outside air with thermal comfort, so it is important to dress appropriately as hot afternoons will feel a bit hotter; and cold days a bit colder. When temperatures dip for an extended period and we are unable to keep classroom temperatures at, or above, 65 degrees, we will first reduce the CFM and then, if needed, we will re-enable damper modulation to reduce the % of outside air in 20-25% increments with the low being at approximately 33% outside air. When this occurs, we will notify the building administrator. A typical classroom provides about 7 ACH (Air Changes per Hour). All buildings flush the air every morning and evening and we have extended the air flush runtimes by two hours before and after occupancy.
• MAXIMIZE AIR FILTRATION – All of the existing filters were changed prior to the start of the 2020-21 school year and have at least a MERV-10 rating. We have assessed all of our mechanical equipment and the equipment that can accommodate a MERV-13 filter have been upgraded or have filter sizes that are on back-order. The filter sizes that are on back-order are due to be received and installed by the end of March. In discussing filtration strategies it is important first to note that our primary ventilation tactic is to provide each space with 100% outside air and maximize total airflow as much as possible. By disabling any recirculation in particular, this approach prevents the virus from entering filters in the first place. The MERV-13 filter recommendation is largely applicable to the recirculation of inside air when 100% outside air is not possible.
• AIR PRESSURE – Health rooms, main conference rooms and bathrooms directly exhaust air to the outside and run full time while the building is occupied.

(updated 4/2/21)

In our consultations with third-party industry experts, the ASHRAE guidance regarding portable air purification units is more applicable to spaces without any other form of filtration. All LWSD mechanical systems have central filtration and maximum outside air flushing will be our primary means of ventilation. This is also in full alignment with the recommendations and guidance we’ve received from OSPI and the Department of Health. As such, there is no plan to provide individual air purification units to schools. It is important to note that the District does not allow ionizers or ozone generators.

(added 1/15/21)

The safety of students and staff is always the highest priority in LWSD. That’s why we teamed up with McKinstry to share an overview of how HVAC and indoor air quality works. Filtration recommendations come from the Center for Disease Control and ASHRAE in an effort to protect our students, teachers and their families as students return to school campuses. Watch this video to learn more: