Puyallup School District elementary students are unlikely to return to some form of in-person discussion prior to January; February for secondary students. Currently, the District is providing in-person instruction to some small groups students but is unlikely to return additional students before January.
At the District’s Reopening Town Hall Oct. 14, a phasing approach to reopening was presented to the community outlining decision metrics for permissive in-person instruction. This phased approach maps to the guidelines provided by the Department of Health (DOH) Decision Tree and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Safe Start Metrics. Currently, the District is in phase 3 providing Continuous (Distance) Learning for most students, and hybrid in-person instruction for small groups of 5 or less students (developmental preschool students, students with disabilities, and students experiencing homelessness).
As public health conditions continue to evolve, the Puyallup School District Phasing Dial will be a communication tool used with families. Each phase aligns to an instructional model that families can plan for.
The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, states that our country's return to "normal" is best considered as a rolling re-entry, "There's not going to be like, a light switch that you turn on and off." As the public health conditions continue to evolve over the next several months, the PSD Phasing Dial will be a regular part of our communications as we move from phase to phase throughout the year based on fluctuations with the weekly number of cases per 100,000.
Decision Process for Moving Between Stages
We are committed to opening in-person instruction as soon as possible, but within the guidelines of the DOH and TPCHD. Community health and guidance provided by the TPCHD will impact our decision to move from phase to phase. We are not health experts and collectively rely on our local health department to guide us in our decision making. A downward trend in transmission rates helps us keep momentum towards a full reopening.
Understanding Each Phase as We Evolve
Phase 1: (i.e.: government stay home order)
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- Who: Self-contained Special Education students in grades P-12, developmental preschool and students experiencing homelessness. Small groups of youngest learners may be considered at this time.
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- Schedule: 1-4 days per week of in-person instruction (*effective Oct. 26 Special Education students will shift from 4 days per week, to 2 days per week on site to accommodate groups of 5 or less.)
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- Who: Students in grades K-1, Self-contained Special Education students in grades P-12, developmental preschool and students experiencing homelessness
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- Schedule: 1-4 days per week of in-person instruction
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- Who: Students in grades K-6, self-contained Special Education students in grades P-12, developmental preschool and students experiencing homelessness
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- Schedule: 1-4 days per week of in-person instruction