Pasco middle and high school students will not return to classrooms Dec. 3

Pasco middle and high school students are unlikely to return to classrooms in 2020.

The school board voted unanimously Tuesday to follow the most recent change in recommendations from the Benton Franklin Health District’s health officer.

“There are feelings on both sides of this, I recognize that. There are pretty strong feelings both ways,” board member Steve Christensen said. “Fortunately or unfortunately, we are somewhat bound by the recommendation of the health department.”

Pasco had planned to bring back students on Dec. 3 based on a previous recommendation by Dr. Amy Person. At the time, COVID-19 infection rates were falling.

Kennewick’s current plans to bring middle and high school students back on Feb. 2, and Richland has held off on setting a formal date to return secondary students.

Elementary students in all three districts continue to attend classes in person part of the week.

COVID trends have reversed themselves in recent weeks, and as of Tuesday afternoon, Franklin County had 824 new cases per 100,000 during the two-week period ending Nov. 17.

The soaring rate and other factors made Dr. Person change her recommendation for middle and high school students.

In addition, the number of cases in middle and high school students has been well ahead of younger students, Person said during Kennewick’s recent school meeting.

“When community disease activity was high, but plateauing or even incrementally increasing, additional mitigation measures could be put in place to offset those risks,” explained Dr. Person. “Unfortunately, when community disease activity is increasing exponentially, there is not sufficient capacity in the system to manage the additional mitigation measures necessary for bringing on thousands more students.”

Still, it is up to each school district to decide when to allow students back in person.

Pasco Superintendent Michelle Whitney said because of the recommendation, the school’s insurance risk pool wanted the delay, as well.

Person still recommends keeping elementary students in classes with strict precautions because there is a low-risk of transmission in the elementary schools and with small groups.

Pasco Board President Amy Phillips said she heard a presentation earlier during a Washington State School Directors’ Association conference urging them to follow the advice of local health officials.

“We’re not going to put ourselves in a position where we can be hit with a lawsuit,” she said. “I have followed Amy Person’s recommendations since the beginning. I encourage any of you who are struggling with this to look at her research and the recommendations.”

This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 6:02 PM.