BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) - A school district in Washington state has welcomed back some students to in-person classes after the district made arrangements to help its educators access the coronavirus vaccine, officials said.
The Bellevue School District east of Seattle is allowing second graders to return to in-person classes on Tuesday and Thursday of this week, with remote learning on Wednesday and no school on Friday, FOX 13 reported.
The announcement came after the Bellevue Education Association said that teachers will not come back inside a classroom until all of their educators are inoculated.
However, the district and association came to an agreement on Monday that allows K-2 to gradually return to in-person instruction. First graders are set to return Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 with the rest of the week online and kindergarteners to return Feb. 11 and Feb. 12.
The district also said it would help staff access COVID-19 vaccines and is currently working with local agencies and pharmacies to hold vaccine clinics.
“We are pleased to let you know the Bellevue School District and the Bellevue Education Association, the educators’ union, have approved a plan to bring our youngest learners back to buildings, while also balancing the need to ensure and respect the health and safety of our educators and staff,” the district said on its website.
Superintendent Ivan Duran told the news station last week that the district has been serving 800 students in-person since September, many are special education students. Duran said there has been zero transmission at their schools.
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