Governor Inslee will sign an executive order that will bring more K-12 students into the classroom.
The order forces all school districts in the state to provide some form of in person learning as well as virtual learning The deadline for all districts to have a hybrid model available for K-6 students is April 5th. For all other students, that deadline is April 19th.
Additionally, by April 19th, all school districts must have an average of 30% of in-person learning hours weekly, and under no circumstances can a student be offered less than two days of in-person learning. These two in-person days can be partial days, per the order.
All school districts must also continue to work towards exceeding the 30% minimum in-person learning hours and must reach each school’s maximum allowed capacity when all health and safety recommendations are applied.
All in-person instruction must comply with DOH guidance and LNI requirements for employee safety as dictated by School Employer Health and Safety Requirements.
The Governor acknowledges that remote learning is great for some students, but the state needs both remote and in-person. He also notes that returning to school does not solve student mental health issues, but it is part of the solution and will help some students.
Inslee estimates that with the passage of the American Rescue Plan, schools in Washington will have received $2.6 billion in pandemic relief from the federal government. The Governor will encourage the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to use some of those funds for mental health aid for students with counselors, nurses, and other support workers.
The executive order will also direct DOH and the state Health Care Authority to begin working on recommendations that would lay out how to support the behavioral health needs of children over the next 12 months.
