In a close vote, Kennewick students will start school online for the first month

For the first month of classes, Kennewick students are going to be taking classes online.

The Kennewick School Board decided in a 3-2 vote Wednesday night that the first month of classes will be held online after Superintendent Traci Pierce proposed using a phased approach to return to class.

The recommendation came after Dr. Amy Person, Benton-Franklin Health District health officer, recommended that schools stay closed because coronavirus transmission rates remain high in the region.

In the letter, Person said she was working with the Washington State Department of Health on guidelines for when it would be safe to open schools in Benton and Franklin counties.

Pierce suggested using those metrics to develop a “Safe Start KSD” plan, given the recommendation of the health officials. This way the district can get parents and teachers prepared for their new distance learning plan.

The plan would be developed with the help of local health officials, and wouldn’t necessarily be tied to the Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan, she said

While the decision may ultimately be taken out of the hands of the local districts, Pierce explained for now they were being allowed to make it.

“I think it’s important that health metrics inform our decisions,” Pierce said. “We will have some metrics that we can create and be transparent with our community about how and when we can reopen.”

While most students would spend most of their days either meeting with teachers directly or learning from recorded videos, small groups of the students who are in the most need would go to classes to learn.

Heather Kintzley and Mike Connors, who are on the district’s board of directors, rejected the idea. While they were grateful for the work Pierce put into her recommendations, they balked at approving starting online.

Kintzley says Inslee’s Safe Start plan continues to be slippery target for counties to hit. She said the phases have morphed, and she is worried a similar plan locally wouldn’t have firm goals.

“One of the biggest frustrations is that it’s a moving target. Phase 3 is that what it was when the governor’s plan started,” she said. “I think we should develop our own metrics, otherwise we’ll be in limbo. … I’ve heard some pretty critical comments about how the health district is reacting to Benton and Franklin (counties). I’m a little skeptical that this is not completely devoid of politics.”

In his comments, Connors said keeping kids out of school is not good for them, and he’s heard from doctors not tied to health district that could provide a counter opinion.

On the other side, board members Diane Sundvik and Ron Mabry and Board President Dawn Adams said they should follow Pierce’s recommendation.

Mabry pointed out that at some point they have to trust someone.

Reactions from parents have been mixed.

With some thankful that Kennewick is taking this step to protect the community’s health, and others who believe this will have detrimental effects on their child’s education.

While a majority of the Kennewick Education Association already said they didn’t feel safe returning to school until Phase 3, some teachers were willing to offer children a chance. A group of more than 60 teachers signed a letter that went to the administration asking to open up classes for people who feel its safe to return.

“We believe students deserve the best education we can provide,” they said in the letter. “Online learning is not optimal. Students learn best in school with their peers; though our students are masters at consuming digital content, they are novices when it comes to learning on a digital platform.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 8:49 PM.