Woodland Public Schools superintendent to recommend starting new school year with full distance learning

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The Woodland Public Schools Board of Directors will review recommendations from the Cowlitz County Department of Health and District Superintendent Michael Green to start the upcoming school year with full-time distance learning during a board meeting this Wednesday, Aug. 12.

With an increasing number of COVID-19 infections in the community, the Cowlitz County Department of Health recommended to area superintendents on Friday evening to have all Cowlitz County school districts start the school year utilizing distance learning. In addition, the Institute of Disease Modeling released a report on July 13 outlining that in-person instruction, even with safeguards in place, risks significantly worsening COVID-19 transmission rates in the community. “While we were hopeful we would be able to begin the school year with in-person instruction, the current spread of the coronavirus makes this no longer a safe option,” Woodland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Green said in the news release.



The district’s leadership team, in collaboration with public health officials, is monitoring the progression of the pandemic throughout the region using specific metrics including the rate of newly-diagnosed cases over a two-week timeline, the rate of COVID-19 testing in the region and the percentage of positive results to tests on a one-week timeline. “We have hope for a gradual return to face-to-face instruction as the school year proceeds,” Green said. “As members of our community increase their use of face masks; consistently observe physical distancing guidelines; and avoid large social gatherings, the data are showing improvement in a reduction of the rate of newly-diagnosed infections in our region.”

— The Reflector