Bethel schools plan to open Sept. 3. Here’s what classes could look like
Bethel School District, the third-largest Pierce County school district serving 20,000 students, is exploring two hybrid options for returning to school in the fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Neither of the two options include full-time, in-person instruction.
In the first option, students would go to school four days a week, but each day would be a half day.
In the second option, students would go to school two days a week, but each day would be a full school day.
If families are not comfortable with any form of in-person school, the district is launching a Bethel Virtual Academy. Families that sign up are committing to online-only learning provided by Bethel teachers for at least one quarter at the elementary level and one trimester at the secondary level, then can return to the face-to-face model in their home school at the end of quarter or trimester, depending on space availability.
“Both models would get students back in school while adhering to the guidelines set by the state,” according to a notice sent to Bethel families on Friday.
Bethel Superintendent Tom Seigel told The News Tribune on Monday that the district intends to open on Sept. 3 and plans to follow all agency guidelines to “ensure we have the safest environment that we possibly can.” All students and staff will be required to wear masks.
The district is still reviewing food service options, after-school activities and classes like band, orchestra, choir and physical education to determine how they might be offered in the fall. The district is also prepared to return to a 100 percent remote learning platform again if the virus worsens.
Bethel’s parent survey shows that 30 percent of nearly 7,000 respondents felt strongly that the online learning model used by the district between March 17 and June 19 did not meet the needs of their students, and 43 percent said they felt comfortable returning to an in-person learning model with safety precautions in place.
More school districts in Pierce County and across the state are rolling out preliminary plans for what school will look like in the fall.
In Tacoma Public Schools, the largest school district in the county serving roughly 30,000 students, families can choose an all-online option or a hybrid option where students receive in-person instruction 2-4 days a week, depending on their grade level.
In Puyallup, the second-largest school district in the county serving roughly 23,000 students, families can choose an all-online option or a model with in-person instruction two days a week and remote learning the rest of the week.
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 12:55 PM.
