Hood River schools plan for full-time openings, COVID precautions

At Horizon, classes will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be full time, on campus for all grade levels, pre-K through 12th, said Community Relations Director Rachel Caldwell. Athletic practices have begun for volleyball and soccer and the school plans to observe a regular season with spectators allowed at all athletic events.

Masks are required indoors as per state mandates; as per Oregon Department of Education, parents and guardians may request a waiver to honor students’ medical exemptions or disabilities that prevent them from wearing a face covering.

“Horizon’s janitorial staff, as well as teachers and aides, will continue to remain vigilant about disinfecting high-touch surfaces frequently throughout the school day,” said a letter sent to families. “And although morning temperature checks and social distancing will not be a primary line of defense, this year, Horizon will continue to greet students as they enter the building each morning as a means of pre-screening. Partnership with parents is also vital to keeping our campus healthy. We encourage parents to pre-screen each morning before sending their child(ren) to school.”

Hood River County School District elementary sites will all start on Sept. 7 and run from 7:35 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. At Wy’east and Hood River middle schools, Sept. 7 is the start date for sixth graders; seventh and eighth graders will return to school Sept. 8. Classes run from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

At Hood River Valley High, student registration day is Sept. 7 — grade levels are staggered throughout the day — and Sept. 8 is new student orientation day: Ninth graders from 8:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and new students in grades 10-12 from 1-3 p.m.

The first day of school for all high school students is Sept. 9. Classes will begin at 8:20 a.m. and run through 3:10 p.m.

Safety protocols include students self-screening or parents and guardians pre-screening for COVID symptoms prior to entering the schools, all students and staff wearing face coverings for all indoor activities and following 3-feet of physical distancing to the greatest possible extent while indoors and on busses, and assigned seats and/or areas in some settings, such as busses, classrooms and cafeterias; weather permitting, outdoor spaces may be used for learning and eating. Face coverings are not required outdoors.

Kindergarten and new student registration is still underway; visit www.hoodriver.k12.or.us for contact information for individual sites.

New state mandate

HRCSD was notified Aug. 19 that Gov. Kate Brown had issued a new directive legally requiring all K-12 school district staff, substitutes and volunteers to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18, or six weeks following full FDA approval of one or more available vaccines, whichever date is later.

The announcement will not delay the return to school for in-person instruction this fall, said HRCSD Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn in a letter to parents and guardians. Staff will be required to show proof of vaccination on or before the first day of school, Sept. 7; those who are not fully vaccinated will be encouraged to get weekly COVID tests until they reach full vaccination. All students, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear coverings while indoors unless they are in a room by themselves with the door closed, Polkinghorn said.

Students are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, he added; those 12 and older are currently eligible to receive the vaccine.

“The priority of HRCSD remains the health of its students and staff,” said Polkinghorn. “This vaccination requirement, along with the other health precautions, is intended to keep our Hood River community safe and to reliably hold school in-person, every school day, for all students, all year long.”