3 feet should be default distance for schools, say district leaders

Washington state’s school district leaders are saying 3 feet, not 6 feet, should be the distance required between students in the classroom.

Educators, school staff added to current vaccine tier in Washington

The Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), which represents school district leaders across the state, sent a letter to the governor and the state Department of Health asking for flexibility in the 6 foot rule for physical distancing in schools.

In the letter, WASA Executive Director Joel Aune says reducing the spacing rules would help get more children back to class sooner. With large numbers of students suffering from mental health challenges during remote learning and the ongoing pandemic, Aune says the added flexibility in spacing requirements would offer more schools the ability to welcome students back to in-person learning.

“In our view, the social, emotional, and academic well-being of students clearly tips the scales toward a return to in-person learning for all students by next fall,” Aune wrote in the letter. “Simply stated, our kids are in trouble, and after what will be 18 months of remote learning, we must get them back to in-person learning next September. It can be done, and it can be done safely.”

The WASA letter cites research from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, which indicates 3 feet of distance is safe for children in schools.

“With the 6′ distance requirement in place, the number of schools where all students can simultaneously return to the classroom for in-person learning is very small,” Aune wrote. “Consequently, the return of all students to the schoolhouse will not happen as long as this requirement is in effect.”

Aune says decisions about the 2021-22 school year, including budgets and staffing levels, are being made now, so a decision on the distancing rule needs to be made soon.

Gov. Inslee, Mayor Durkan push to get kids back in school ‘safely and soon’

Meanwhile, school districts across Washington are returning to the classroom, mostly in a hybrid form. In Seattle, this weekend brought more bargaining without any agreement.

Gov. Jay Inslee and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal have both pushed for students to return to in-person learning, starting with the younger grades. Gov. Inslee said we know in-person learning can be done safely because it is being done safely in schools statewide already.

“Our educational community has shown us that they can do this job on site,” he said. “And now that we know this, it is reasonable to expect and we do expect that schools will provide onsite options for parents and students in the near future.”

The KIRO Radio Newsdesk contributed to this report.

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