School districts around Oregon are preparing to follow Governor Kate Brown’s order to close effective on Monday and remain so through Tuesday, March 31. That’s the cancellation for most district of seven class days, as spring break was scheduled for most schools the week of March 23.
The Hood River County School District says it is finalizing plans to provide meal options at several of its sites, and details will be shared as soon as they are confirmed. Preschools, Primetime programs and childcare providers that are located on school campuses will not be open during the school closure. The district says it will not be providing distance learning at this time, and whether the days will be made up at the end of the school year or by other schedule changes has not been determined.
North Wasco County School District 21 says they will expect staff to return March 30, two days in advance of the planned reopening, but they will assess and confirm or adjust the return dates on March 25. D-21 will provide meals as a grab and go option from 11 a.m. to noon this Monday through Friday at Chenowith Elementary School and The Dalles Middle School. The D-21 board announced it will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. that can be viewed on the District’s webpage.
The White Salmon Valley School District says it will be open on Monday, then shut down until April 24, following Governor Jay Inslee’s decision to shut down all K-12 public schools in Washington to prevent the spread of COVID-19. District administration indicated they are working on a plan to meet the needs of the community during the shutdown, and will have more information in the near future.
The Stevenson-Carson School District says on its Facebook page that with Washington Governor Jay Inslee closing all public schools in the state until April 24, they know most state testing has been cancelled for this year, and the last day of school will not be passed on June 19. The district statement indicates top priority has been given to providing a way for seniors to graduate on time. The Stevenson district is also prepared to provide breakfast and lunch for students beginning on Monday, partnering with Stevenson-Carson Educational Foundation to supplement these meals occasionally with additional items beyond what a federally funded lunch program can provide. The meals will be delivered via our school bus routes or available for pickup at our schools between 10 and 12 p.m. The district is advising its residents to watch their e-mail and Facebook for additional information and an opportunity to sign up for free food for all children.
Columbia Gorge Community College will stay open, but CGCC is expanding its on-line instructional capacity so that students will be able to access their classes remotely to the greatest extent possible through virtual conferencing tools. CGCC is also abiding by Oregon Govenor Kate Brown’s ban on large public events with more than 250 people, effective immediately, through April 8. That may affect some activities over the next four weeks. Hands-on career-technical programs and labs will continue in person, but with social distancing measures to maintain a distance of at least three feet between individuals. College-associated gatherings and group activities that do not allow for individuals to maintain a distance of three feet or more from one another will be cancelled. CGCC will limit all non-essential travel, including in- and out-of-state, as well as limit all non-essential meetings above 20 people, using virtual conferencing as an alternative. The college’s Small Business Development Center is working with the SBDC state network to provide comprehensive economic resilience and emergency preparedness for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 virus and other issues in general. College administrators are reviewing which positions at the college may have the opportunity to work remotely from home. All operational changes will remain in place through at least April 8.