KENNEWICK, WA -- Following updated guidance from state and local health departments, Finley School District is presenting revised reopening plans to start the school year 100% online, beginning with the first day of school on September 1st. The revised reopening plan will be posted to the district website following the school board’s special meeting on Wednesday, August 5th at 3:00 PM (held virtually via Zoom). The district’s final reopening plan must be formally approved through an official resolution by the school board and submitted to OSPI no later than August 17.
The updated guidance Finley and other school systems received from the Benton Franklin Health District (BFHD) in their July 29 letter states that current county transmission rates are significantly above the acceptable metrics proposed by local and state health districts in order for our schools to consider reopening for in-person instruction.
Finley Superintendent Lance Hahn states, “Like other school systems in our area, Finley has been working in close collaboration with the Benton Franklin Health District throughout the spring school closures and over the summer.” He continues, “We greatly appreciate the collaboration from our local health district and the information they’ve provided us so that we can adjust our planning and focus our efforts on preparing Finley to start the school year in a new virtual model.”
To begin the year, Finley students in all grade levels (K-12) will participate in a 100% remote learning model that will include students logging into their classes and lessons from home. Attendance and grading will be tracked and mandatory, and students will participate in their various classes based on the guidelines set by their teachers. While additional details on what to expect will be released over the next two weeks, Finley families should expect:
- Communication from your student(s)’ school regarding class schedules, Chromebooks, updated school supply expectations, etc. within the next two weeks.
- All students in K-12th grade will be issued a Chromebook in order to participate in remote learning. Multiple students in the same household will each have their own device.
- Remote learning will include a combination of daily, teacher-led learning, as well as some “applied” learning that students should be able to complete independently.
- Parents/guardians will only be relied on for the minimal expectations of ensuring their student(s) maintains a regular routine, providing adequate space to complete lessons, and maintaining Chromebooks as usual.
- Students will follow a daily school schedule or routine, Monday-Friday, and will not be expected to learn in front of a computer screen or device for six hours per day.
- Supports and additional services will be provided for special education students and those who require it, and the district will continue to work with the BFHD regarding considerations for exceptions to small group, in-person instruction (less than 5 persons) to support educationally at-risk students.
We know that there is no substitute for the face-to-face, in-person learning students receive in their classrooms, and our goal remains to return to school on-site as soon as it is safe to do so. We will continue in a 100% Remote Learning model through the first quarter of our school calendar at a minimum. Beginning in mid-October, our district will work with BFHD to reassess current health conditions and community transition rates to determine whether cohorts of students (on a rotating A/B schedule) could return to school in-person starting November 2, 2020 (when 2nd Quarter begins).
Recognizing that starting the year with full remote learning is a new landscape for everyone involved, we are planning training and orientation opportunities for our community. Leading up to the start of school and during the first weeks of school, Finley School District will be providing multiple opportunities for our staff, students, and families to become better acquainted with our selected learning management systems, processes, and expectations. More information on the details of these trainings and orientation opportunities will be communicated by the district via our website, Facebook, and printed mailings to families.
We are committed to keeping our staff, families, and community members informed. Please continue to watch our website at www.finleysd.org/reopen.
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