December 23, 2020 4:00 a.m.
All schools in the South Umpqua School District are returning to in-person instruction beginning on Monday January 4th.
A statement on the district’s website says the school metrics for the past two weeks in Douglas County have been under 200 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population for the first time since early November. The statement says the state has extended the “Safe Harbor” clause for any schools that were already open for in-person instruction earlier this year. The district says the Oregon Department of Education and local public health authorities have confirmed that it may resume its in-person instruction.
Students and staff will still be required to adhere to all COVID health and safety precautions including visual screenings, staying home when sick or knowingly exposed to COVID-19, hand-washing/sanitizing, wearing masks, social distancing and cohorting.
The release said if students were enrolled in comprehensive distance learning prior to the Thanksgiving break, they will remain in distance learning, with online classes resuming on January 4th. Students who were attending in-person prior to the Thanksgiving break, will return to school in-person on January 4th.
Bus stop meal deliveries will resume on January 4th as well.