The Kent School District closed a classroom Wednesday, Jan. 12 at Kent Elementary School, 24700 64th Ave. S., due to COVID-19.
“As of Jan. 12, one classrooms is closed on the recommendation of Public Health,” according to the district’s school status map. “Otherwise, the building is open and offering in-person instruction to students in the remaining classrooms. The school contacted all impacted families of the closed classrooms on Jan. 12. The classroom will reopen on Jan. 18.”
The district does not release the grade of the class or the number of students impacted. As of noon Jan. 13, no other classrooms are closed in the district. District officials announced Jan. 11 they plan to keep in-person learning going at schools despite the recent outbreak in COVID-19 cases across King County, the state and nation.
The district explains on its website when it closes a classroom:
• Three or more students or staff in the same room/area test positive for COVID-19
• The cases have symptoms that start within 14 days of each other
• The cases are not associated with one another in another setting (household, club, etc.)
A COVID-19 outbreak in a school is considered when the following have been met:
• There are three or more COVID-19 cases among students or staff.
• The cases have a symptom onset or positive test result within a 14-day period of each other.
• The cases are epidemiologically linked.
• The cases do not share a household.
• The cases are not identified as close contacts of each other in another setting during the investigation.
If a full class needs to quarantine or a school is directed to temporarily close in response to COVID-19 transmission, then:
• Staff and families will be notified by phone, letter, and/or email of the classroom closure
• Students will shift to the 100% remote model used during the 2020-21 school year
• Schedules will mirror current 2021-22 in-person schedules
• Teachers will have two days to transition to synchronous remote learning, and learning will begin online fully by the third day for impacted classrooms
• Classroom closures will typically last 5-10 days
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