The Parkrose School District announced Monday that all of its schools will shift to distance learning through Friday, Jan. 21, because of large numbers of staff and students who’ve been infected by or exposed to COVID-19.
The nearly 3,000-student district, situated in outer Northeast Portland, hopes to resume in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 24.
Parkrose is the only school district in the metro area to shift entirely online, and its plans stretch the longest. The decision follows Portland Public Schools’ announcement that several middle and high schools would go remote through at least this Friday, with a similar timeline for Durham Elementary in the Tigard-Tualatin School District. Remote learning could be extended if staffing levels don’t improve, officials have said.
Vancouver Public Schools also announced a temporary and rotating remote schedule at its middle and high schools earlier Monday because of a lack of healthy school bus drivers.
School districts across the metro area have provided ominous warnings to parents warning of a potential shift to remote learning as omicron spreads rapidly. Oregon is averaging more than 6,750 coronavirus cases a day over the past week, a record, with the metro area getting hit hard. But most districts haven’t outlined clear benchmarks for when classes may move online, leaving parents and teachers awaiting word each night from school administrators.
Already, an estimated 8,700 Oregon students across three districts in the metro area have or will so move to online learning.
Parkrose sent an early evening email to parents Monday stating that widespread staffing shortages include “many of our teaching staff” as well as sick workers in the departments of nutrition, maintenance and transportation. The district didn’t state the number of staff out because they’ve tested positive or are quarantining, but said more than 200 students were placed on quarantine last week.
One school, Prescott Elementary, closed Friday. All four of the district’s elementary schools, as well as the middle and high schools, closed Monday. Tuesday will be a preparation day for staff before starting online instruction Wednesday.
“(W)e anticipate the coming weeks will be very challenging due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant,” Superintendent Michael Lopes Serrao said in the email.
Sports and other extracurricular activities will be paused this week and it’s unclear if they’ll re-start next week, though the district plans to move some extracurricular activities online if feasible.
Meals also will be available for pick-up.
Elementary classes will be in session for “synchronous” learning from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Middle school classes will be in session from 11 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. High school will hold remote classes from 10:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Does your family have kids in the Parkrose School District? Tell us how these school closures are impacting your family. Contact reporter Aimee Green at agreen@oregonlive.com
— Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee