The Olympia School District started the 2020-21 school year with a 100% distance learning model with plans for a leveled approach to in-person learning.

On September 21, 2020, the district moved to Level 2 when it began in-person learning for small groups of no more than five students served by the district’s Developmental Learning Classroom (DLC) and Life Skills programs. More than 110 students in elementary, middle and high school are attending school in person at 10 OSD schools.

As public health conditions continue to evolve over the next several months, the Olympia School District dial will be a regular part of our guidance as we may have to move back and forth from level to level throughout the year. This information will be updated as new data and guidelines become available.

These levels will be determined by the impacts of a changing health situation (e.g. number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over 14 days in Thurston County), available resources, and direction from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Gov. Jay Inslee, and Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS).

Helpful resources in the decision-making process include:

• The Washington State Department of Health Decision Tree for Provision of In-Person Learning among Public and Private K-12 Students during COVID-19. The Decision Tree is also embedded in the Olympia School District’s fall school reopening plan.
• The Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Risk Assessment Dashboard, which identifies COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over 14 days. This dashboard is used as the basis for the state’s decision tree for determining provision of in-person learning.

Learn more specifics about the five learning levels on the district website

Read latest PHSS guidance from Health Officer Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek (September 23, 2020)