Bellevue Schools Monitor Rising Coronavirus Trends In King County

BELLEVUE, WA — The Bellevue School District is keeping a close eye on King County's coronavirus metrics as the target date to bring back younger students for in-person instruction draws near.

In early October, the district identified Oct. 26 as the day it hoped to welcome back first and second grade students to the classroom five days a week. The plan would return Kindergarteners the following Monday, then resume some classes for third, fourth and fifth graders on Nov. 9.

As coronavirus activity appears to be again trending upward in King County, the district said it will update families weekly on potential impacts to its transitional plan.

Factors that could influence the district's decisions include:

• COVID-19 cases in King County
• COVID-19 cases in school buildings
• Other community health trends in King County (e.g. flu outbreaks)
• Student attendance rates at our schools
• Working directly with employee groups impacted by the shift back to in-person services, including any legally required negotiations/consultation that must occur
• Consultation with the Board of Directors

In a letter sent to staff and families Monday, district officials said they would review the latest data on Thursday and discuss whether the trends are an aberration or indicative of wider community spread. The district noted recent outbreaks at the Salish Lodge & Spa and the University of Washington's Greek Row could have played an outsized role in the latest statistics.

"At this time, it is premature to make any changes in our targeted return date for transition to in-person learning," officials wrote. "It should be noted that we are watching King County COVID trends closely to see if the increase holds beyond the two primary outbreaks that drove last week's increase and may adjust our plans if needed."

Public Health - Seattle & King County will hold a news briefing on the latest coronavirus trends Tuesday afternoon. Bellevue families are invited to join the school district's virtual Health & Safety Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m.