Bellevue 2nd Graders Return To Class Amid Teacher Safety Dispute

BELLEVUE, WA — Hundreds of Bellevue second-graders returned to the classroom Thursday, as the district moved ahead with its phased reopening plans over objections from the teachers union.

The district is currently in the third phase of its Back to Buildings plan and plans to welcome first-graders back on Monday, followed by kindergarteners on Feb. 1.

According to the district, most students had not seen the inside of a classroom in 314 days, dating back to widespread school closures in the earliest weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, students had to navigate a very different landscape, donning masks, undergoing temperature checks and sitting at desks spaced 6 feet apart.

Under the district's risk mitigation plan, ventilation systems have been overhauled to maximize fresh air and staffers must wipe down high touch areas between uses. Arrival and dismissal times are staggered, with designed entry and exit points, and school nurses and other staff are tasked with leading contact tracing efforts.

Students and staff must complete health checks each morning, and anyone exhibiting potential symptoms will be sent home. In the event of a COVID-19 infection among students or staff, the district said all close contacts will be sent home for a 14-day quarantine. If two people in a class group test positive within two weeks, the group will return to remote instruction for two weeks, and the district will contact public health officials to determine if a full school closure is needed.

(A full list of health and safety protocols can be found on the district's website.)

The district is forging ahead with its plan despite objections from the Bellevue Education Association, whose members voted overwhelmingly to demand a pause until vaccinations are available for all teachers and school staff. Under the state's existing guidelines, educators in high-risk groups should be eligible for vaccines in February, but the wider group of educators will not qualify until at least April. So far, the district has rebuffed the union's demands.

School leaders in some areas, including Seattle's superintendent, have called on Gov. Jay Inslee to place all teachers in earlier vaccine phases — a request echoed by some prominent state legislators. The state has yet to announce any such change.

Bellevue's teachers' union will hold a meeting Friday to discuss potential next steps.