RENTON, WA – The Renton School District announced to parents/guardians in an email Friday the plan to return students to in-person learning. The email lays out a plan to return K-5 students first then middle school and high schoolers. According to the email from Randy Matheson, Executive Director, Community Relations:

Since Governor Jay Inslee’s press conference last month to release new guidance for returning students to in-person learning, we’ve been working to include the new information in our ongoing planning. The new guidance identifies three categories of COVID-19 activity levels, with recommendations for each category:

• If the transmission rate is high, defined as greater than 350 cases per 100K over 14 days, the recommendation is to phase-in in-person instruction in groups of 15 or fewer students, prioritizing grades PreKindergarten-5 and those with the highest need.
• If the transmission rate is moderate, defined as 50-350 cases per 100K over 14 days, then the recommendation is to phase-in in-person learning, prioritizing elementary and middle school students.
• If the transmission rate is low, defined as less than 50 cases per 100K over 14 days, then schools may begin full time in-person instruction for all schools.

Renton School District’s Plan

Our goal is to update students, families, and staff next week regarding the potential timeline and process for beginning in-person learning. We estimate that it will take at least 4-6 weeks to transition from remote learning to face-to-face instruction, including work to offer families a commitment survey, shifting staffing based on survey results, confirming operational and logistical pieces (transportation, custodial, food services), and more. The likely earliest date for the resumption of in-person learning is mid-February.

Our priorities for phasing in in-person learning remain the same:  health and safety of students and staff, our youngest learners, students receiving special services, and students most in need of in-person support.  (See our Return to In-Person Learning Plan 2020-2021.)