Superintendent's Blog August 20, 2021

Happy Friday,


On Wednesday of this week, Governor Inslee announced a vaccine mandate for all school district employees. Per the Governor's mandate, the district is following L&I instruction to verify staff vaccination status. Governor Inslee also expanded the existing statewide mask mandate regardless of vaccination status. Masks remain a requirement for everyone inside our schools and buses. 


Please understand that these mandates are not a choice being left to local school boards or districts. It is required by the Governor through executive order. 


Board Meeting questions and/or public comments


Any questions we receive at the board meeting are shared and answered here. This week, there were some questions shown below. 
 

Q. Is there any guidance about when students and staff need to quarantine? Is there a potential for returning to remote instruction if there is a significant outbreak in school?


A. The Department of Health and L&I are requiring that all staff provide proof of vaccination status.  This will allow the district to minimize quarantining procedures for verified vaccinated employees. Additionally students may also share verified vaccinated status with the district to reduce quarantining requirements.  If the district needs to close for a significant outbreak, we can return to remote options that were in place last year.  
 

Q. Rob [Board Director, Dr. Coffey] mentioned a number of covid cases. What is your source please? Do you also know the number of other flu cases besides covid? Bill mentioned 3 foot distancing when it used to be 6 foot distancing. Does this suggest the situation with covid is improving now versus where the past guidance required 6 foot, or was the prior 6 foot guidance incorrect?
 

A. The district receives the COVID case numbers from the DOH on a weekly basis.  The number of flu cases is not part of the statistics that are emailed to the district.  In regards to the 3-foot social distancing, this standard was set in the spring of 2021 by the CDC and subsequently included in the Washington State Department of Health's guidance for K-12 schools, K-12 classroom physical distancing information 
 

Q. So I just would like to verify that I heard right because I just stepped in here. The schools are going to be supplying the covid vaccine?
 

A. No, the District does not supply vaccine. The district has partnered with Skagit County Public Health and supported their vaccination clinics in our schools on a few Saturdays in the past.

 

Q. I wish it was easier to find the superintendent's blog on the district website. It is frustrating to have you tell us that we will find answers there and then not be able to find the blog.


A. The superintendent blog is always on the front page on the left hand side.  We are also working on making improvements to our website.

 

Q. From what source are you getting your statistics about the cases per day in Skagit? Are you aware the CDC, as of Dec will be discontinuing the PCR test being used as per the inventor and nobel prize winner, Kerry Mullis said unequivocally states that it can not be used to test for a virus as it will absolutely present false positive and negative results. Yet what have we been using for the past 18 months to test


A. The district receives the COVID case numbers from the DOH on a weekly basis.  We will continue to do our part  in following guidance and requirements from the Governor, DOH, OSPI, L&I, local health department and the CDC.  

 
Q. Is there a chance the children could go back to virtual learning at any point throughout the year.  If so, what is the procedure.  


A. If the district needs to close for a significant outbreak, we can return to remote options that were in place last year. The district is working on a procedure plan.


With the start of school fast approaching, buildings will be hosting their Open House events.  Please be sure to connect with your child’s school if you have any questions.


Thank you for your continued support of the district.