Reopening Oregon schools: What your district's return plan looks like
Gov. Brown has given Oregon school districts control over when students return to in-person classes. Here's where districts in the Portland metro area stand now.
Some school districts in the Portland metro area are still figuring out the logistics of hybrid learning, while others are already offering the option.
On Monday, Feb. 22, sixth grade students in the Vancouver Public School District had their first day of in-person, hybrid school.
The largest district in the state, Portland Public Schools (PPS), plans to begin hybrid learning in April by phasing in students from kindergarten through fifth grade.
A survey asking PPS parents if they prefer distance learning or hybrid learning for their children was sent to families on Feb. 12. Parents have until Thursday, Feb. 25, to fill out a survey telling the district their preference. The district also has an FAQ resource for parents.
The Beaverton School District sent a message to parents on Feb. 22 that said it planned to start hybrid instruction on April 19 for middle and high school students. In the next few weeks, the district will ask families if they want to stay distance learning for the rest of the year or if they’d like to opt for hybrid learning instead.
Here's a look at where schools in the Portland metro area stand so far:
Portland Public Schools
In the latest update from the school board, it said that it has expanded in-person learning opportunities but has not yet started hybrid learning for all K-5 students as it had intended.
In January, PPS chief of schools Dr. Shawn Bird spoke on the moves PPS was making to try and make hybrid learning possible. It hopes to begin the transition in April.
“School administrators have been identifying the students that are eligible, and they’re reaching out to families individually, making sure that families understand this is optional and we want to make sure they feel safe,” he said.
The majority of Portland students will stay with distance learning until they have the opportunity to potentially go to hybrid learning in the spring.
You can find more information on the latest health precautions PPS has taken in their Feb. 9 presentation to the Board of Education.
Get the latest from Portland Public Schools
Beaverton School District
The Beaverton School District sent a message to parents on Feb. 22 that said it planned to start hybrid instruction on April 19 for middle and high school students. In the next few weeks, the district will ask families if they want to stay distance learning for the rest of the year or if they’d like to opt for hybrid learning instead.
The letter from Superintendent Don Grotting reads, in part:
We will NOT be moving forward with BSD Connect on April 19, as previously announced. Instead, we plan to move ahead with In-Person Hybrid Instruction for middle, high and option school students who want to return to campus. The details of the plan are currently being worked out, but we plan to offer simultaneous instruction.
Simply put, teachers would provide live instruction from school to all students. Students who prefer to stay in Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) would receive that live instruction via their computers at home. Students who opt for Hybrid would be divided into two attendance groups. They'd spend two full days on campus and three days online at home, as current state-mandated safety protocols do not allow for all students to be on campus at the same time. In-person and online instruction will occur simultaneously for the first half of each period. During the second half of the period when students engage in applied learning (practice work), teachers would provide in-person support to students in the classroom. Wednesdays would look much like they do now in CDL. Please know that all plans that involve changes to working conditions are subject to negotiation with our employee associations.
We are targeting an April 19 start date. In the next few weeks, we’ll be asking families to commit to either CDL or Hybrid for the remainder of the school year. Know that we’ll be providing you more specifics on the model and safety protocols before we ask you to make a decision.
The latest for elementary, middle and high school students from the Beaverton School District can be found here.
Get the latest from the Beaverton School District
Clackamas Education Service District
The Clackamas Education Service District serves all 10 Clackamas County school districts and works with them on a regional service plan for their schools and communities.
The largest of those districts is the North Clackamas School District, announced in its most recent communication to parents that it plans to begin hybrid learning when teachers have had the ability to be vaccinated with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The communication about the school district's plans, sent out on Jan. 28, said in part:
Implement a grades K-1 elementary hybrid delivery model when:
employees working with grade K-1 elementary school students have had the opportunity for both COVID-19 vaccine doses, and
after Clackamas County has met the Health Metric for Returning to In-Person Instruction at a rate of fewer than 200 cases per 100,000 residents for two consecutive weeks.
Expand the elementary hybrid model to grades 2-3 when:
employees working with grade 2-3 elementary school students have had the opportunity for both COVID-19 vaccine doses, and
when Clackamas County continues to meet the Health Metrics for Returning to In-Person Instruction of fewer than 200 cases per 100,000 residents, and
following approximately two weeks after implementing the K-1 elementary hybrid delivery model.
Grades 4-12 will remain in Comprehensive Distance Learning until further school board discussion and possible action.
Begin the implementation of limited in-person instruction at all grades as long as Clackamas County continues to meet the Health Metric for Returning to In-Person instruction of fewer than 200 cases per 100,000 residents. This metric does not apply to clubs and activities that are held outside.
Allow district high schools to participate in Oregon Schools Activities Association (OSAA) approved and designated high school activities following all safety and health protocols for athletes, coaches, and spectators as outlined by the Oregon Health Authority and OSAA.
Open rental of NCSD fields to local youth-service nonprofit athletic groups for the spring season beginning March 22 while following all state health and safety protocols.
More from the North Clackamas School District
In the Lake Oswego School District, kindergarten through first grade students returned for hybrid learning on Tuesday.
An email sent to staff and families on Jan. 29 reads, in part:
Considering inputs from school personnel, advice from public health authorities, knowledge of our vaccination schedules, and directives from the Lake Oswego School Board, LOSD arrived at a firm start date of Tuesday, Feb. 23.
“Understanding and patience has been appreciated as we navigate through this incredibly dynamic and complex time,” said Dr. Lora de la Cruz, Superintendent, LOSD. “Many variables have been considered and we are confident this date will enable our learning community to provide a stable and welcoming return to school for our students.”
Following is the LOSD timeline for all grades:
- Kindergarten & Grade 1: Tuesday, Feb. 23
- Grade 2 & Grade 3: Monday, March 1
- Grade 4 & Grade 5: Friday, March 5
- Grades 6-12: tentative plans for start of 4th quarter, week of April 12
Since October, LOSD teachers and staff have been providing limited in-person instruction at all ten of its elementary, middle and high schools, and there are plans to bring in additional middle and high school students as they wait to return to Hybrid in-person. Additionally, throughout this time, LOSD has been providing emergency childcare at its Palisades site and in-person instruction and support at its charter recovery high school Harmony Academy.
More from the Lake Oswego School District
Get the latest updates from the other districts CESD serves:
Hillsboro School District
The Hillsboro School District laid out a tentative return to limited in-person learning timeline in their most recent communication on Feb. 17:
Return-to-School Plan
Vaccine distribution progress is aligning with our plan for bringing students back to school in person for the hybrid model. Again - families and students have a choice about whether to remain in CDL or participate in the hybrid model. Students who choose to participate in the hybrid model will still receive a portion of their education through CDL, but will also have the opportunity to physically attend school one or more days per week.
Here is the current plan for hybrid learning:
- Monday, Mar. 29, 2021 - Students in grades PreK-2 attend school in person four-to-five days per week for approximately four hours per day. We are working on staggered start times, as we have during a regular school year, roughly encompassing the 8 a.m. hour.
- Monday, Apr. 5, 2021 - Students in grades 3-4 attend school in person two days per week (Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday) with the same start times and length of day as PreK-2.
- Monday, Apr. 12, 2021 - Students in grades 5-6 attend school in person two days per week (Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday) with the same start times and length of day as PreK-2.
- Monday, Apr. 19, 2021 - Students in grades 7-12 attend school in person at least one day per week, with a later start time than elementary, for approximately four hours.
Get the latest from the Hillsboro School District
Tigard-Tualatin School District
In its latest communication, the Tigard-Tualatin School District said:
Monday, March 29: We will welcome back our Pre-K, kindergarten and 1st grade hybrid students to begin learning in the building. All students changing classes at grades 2-5 also transition on this day.
Monday, April 5: We will welcome back 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade hybrid students to begin learning in the building.
“The first group of students that will be coming into our building will be small numbers of elementary students with disabilities that significantly impact their ability to access anything related to comprehensive distance learning,” said Carol Kinch, the TTSD student services director.
Scott Herron, head of the Tigard-Tualatin Education Association, said it’s voluntary for teachers involved in this first phase of limited in-person instruction. He’s glad this week many teachers and staff will begin to get their first dose of the vaccine.
“If everything works according to plan in about three to five weeks we can get everybody their first shot,” said Herron.
Get the latest from the Tigard-Tualatin School District
Gresham-Barlow School District
The Gresham-Barlow School District did not have school on Tuesday, Feb. 23 in preparation for bringing students back for limited in-person learning. However, its return to learn plan says it is being updated.
It said on its website, in part:
The latest school health safety metrics show that case and positivity rates are rising in our region. While Governor Brown announced on December 23 that beginning January 1, school health safety metrics for returning to in-person instruction would become advisory rather than mandatory, she also directed districts to work in close consultation with their local public health authority in understanding and considering the metrics. The Gresham-Barlow School District is consulting with the Multnomah County Health Department as we work through this process.
Get the latest from the Gresham-Barlow School District
Reynolds School District
Reynolds School District is keeping track of the metrics given to them by the Oregon Department of Education on its website. In a communication to families on Feb. 2, the Reynolds School District said it would remain in online learning through at least March 26.
Reynolds said, in part:
Due to the current and expected level of COVID-19 risk in Multnomah county as well as new information regarding vaccinations for school staff, Dr. Danna Diaz, Reynolds School District Superintendent of Schools recommended to the Reynolds School Board that Reynolds School District remain in Comprehensive Distance Learning through March 26, 2021 (the end of Spring Break). This recommendation is intended to allow additional planning time to offer safe in-person instruction in the future and greater deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Reynolds School Board acted and approved this reopening plan at the January 27th Board Business Meeting.
Get the latest from the Reynolds School District
David Douglas School District
The David Douglas School District said it will continue to provide comprehensive distance learning for the rest of the school year for those who choose it.
David Douglas encourages parents and students to visit this page to keep up to date with what's happening in the plans for the new school year.
The school board said in its last communication on Feb. 12, in part:
The David Douglas School Board has unanimously affirmed our intent to continue providing high-quality Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) for all students through the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.
To be clear, the David Douglas School District was always going to provide CDL for families throughout the entire year. Through our surveys, we know that a significant number of our families intend to remain in CDL through June, whether for safety reasons and/or because their students are doing well in it.
But we also know that we have students who are not thriving in CDL and who need additional supports. For those families, the Board asked District leadership to move forward with Limited In-Person Instruction (LIPI) at all levels as quickly and safely as possible.
We have established Ready Schools, Safe Learners (RSSL) Committees at each school, as well as at the District level. These committees will immediately begin developing plans for LIPI in all schools, Prek-12.
Get the latest from the David Douglas School District
Centennial School District
Centennial School District has said it has plans to move to limited in-person instruction but it did not release a specific date on which that would begin.
It said, in part, in a statement from the Superintendent
Given the factors listed above, the school district shared with the school board that we believe beginning with Limited In-Person Instruction (LIPI) would be the most feasible way to eventually transition to in-person learning.
Get the latest from the Centennial School District
Sherwood Public School District
The latest update from the Sherwood School District reads, in part:
On February 10, 2021, our Board of Directors took action on selecting dates to reopen our elementary schools to students for Hybrid in-person instruction; the recording of that meeting can be viewed here. The approved dates are:
- Grades K and 1 – Starting March 8
- Grades 2-5 – Starting March 15
The first week of school for each of these groups will be transition weeks, with half of the students attending on Monday, the other half attending on Tuesday, and then all students attending the remainder of the week. Additionally, March 12 will be a grading day for elementary and there will be no school on that day.
In addition to these dates, the Board approved additional professional development/transition days for staff to prepare for the return of students in the Hybrid model. There will be no school for students on those dates. The approved dates are:
- February 25 and 26 – no school for students transitioning to Hybrid in-person; Cloud Campus will be in session on these dates)
- March 4 and 5 – no school for all students in grades K-5
Middle and high school:
- Middle School – April 5
- High School – Start of Quarter 4 (currently April 20)
At the middle school level, this timeline would include a professional development/transition week for staff, tentatively scheduled for March 29-April 2 (immediately following Spring Break); there would be no school for middle school students during this week.
The Board of Directors is expected to take action on the proposed middle and high school start dates, as well as any additional calendar adjustments needed to accommodate those dates, at their March 10 meeting.
Get the latest from the Sherwood Public School District
Parkrose School District
Parkrose has not given a set date for when it plans to begin in-person hybrid learning for students. A Jan. 12 update reads, in part:
This update is to inform our community that last night at our Parkrose Board Work Session our School Board voted to extend Comprehensive Distance Learning until March 29th, 2021. There are multiple factors that influenced our Board’s decision, but the primary issue is continued high rates of community spread COVID-19 that is not seeing a decline over the past month.
On December 23rd, 2021 Governor Brown announced the COVID-19 metrics for reopening schools were no longer mandatory and only advisory to school districts. The Governor encouraged districts to use a local decision-making process to determine how our school system can safely reopen for students as early as February 15th, particularly for Kindergarten through 3rd grade.
We all want our kids back, but weighing the serious risk of transmission in schools to students and staff is very complex, and we do not take it lightly. Our cumulative case rates over the past month have fluctuated between 300-400 cases per 100,000 with positivity rates above 5%. Based on the current advisory metrics and the trends we are observing across the country, we believe the risks are too high.
Get the latest from the Parkrose School District
Forest Grove School District
Forest Grove School District said that it will be allowing small groups of students back into school for in-person learning. It said it continues to work on how to bring more students in for in-person learning. It said on Jan. 15, in part:
While the Governor’s new directive will allow us to steadily bring more students back to school, the status of the virus in Washington County has not changed much. We continue to see data from the state that shows, with the new variants of the virus, Washington County infections could continue to increase. We don't know which way this will go. However, we will begin this process by bringing small groups of students back to the buildings for Limited In Person Instruction (LIPI). LIPI will not take the place of CDL. Rather it will give supplemental instruction to those students who have been identified as “at risk.” Initially, this will be small numbers of students. We believe we can institute the public health guidelines and keep these students and staff members safe at these numbers.
Get the latest from the Forest Grove School District
Riverdale School District
The Riverdale School District has only information on its website about Comprehensive Distance learning for the 2020-2021 school year. It does direct parents and anyone interested in more information, to its Facebook page where meeting videos are posted.
Get the latest from the Riverdale School District
Not on the list?
School district officials: If your district is not on the list, or the information here needs to be updated, please let us know by sending us the updated info right here.