Bellevue Schools Plan To Welcome Younger Students Back In January

BELLEVUE, WA — The Bellevue School District is moving forward with plans to resume in-person classes for its youngest students by the end of January. In an update shared with the community this week, district officials said they would share details on schedules and timing in early January.

In October, the district abandoned plans to return to the classroom as a third coronavirus wave began to build in King County and across the state.

Read more from the district's latest "Back to Buildings" update:

This year, many kindergarteners have spent nearly half a school year without ever stepping foot inside a classroom. They have not met their teachers in person and only know their classmates via video camera on their computer. These students need to build a strong foundation of academics and social learning to be successful throughout their entire educational journey.

Bringing our youngest learners back into our schools is a decision not made lightly, as the health and wellbeing of our staff, students and school community is our highest priority. For the last nine months, our health and safety systems have allowed us to care for children in our preschool programs and provided thousands of meals with confidence. We are currently serving over 600 students in person in learning environments and at all grade levels. We believe we can continue to bring students back for partial in-person learning this winter.

While coronavirus case counts, transmission rates and hospitalizations remain high in Washington, state officials on Wednesday unveiled new guidance recommending a phased return to classrooms. In a news conference, Gov. Jay Inslee said several recent studies found limited impacts from classroom instruction, provided adequate precautions were in place.

The Bellevue School District said its facilities are ready for the transition, with personal protective equipment available and a plan that relies on proven safety measures.

K-2 families can expect a survey in the week ahead, which will provide more details on planning and ask whether they would prefer to continue with fully-remote learning or move to a hybrid model.