All Washington schools will offer in-person learning by April: Gov. Jay Inslee

Washington Governor Jay Inslee will sign an emergency proclamation ensuring that all school districts offer in-person learning by April.

According to the Office of Governor Inslee, the proclamation comes in response to mounting evidence of a mental health crisis among young people spawned by the pandemic.

“We have asked enough of our students and families,” Inslee said during a press conference Friday. “I have been motivated all year to get our students back in school; I have had many conversations with educators; I have toured schools that are back in person across the state, and I have seen the medical evidence, both for COVID transmission in schools and, very importantly, the impact of this pandemic on our children’s mental health.”

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Inslee’s emergency proclamation will have most schools operating in a hybrid learning model where students are divided into groups and receive partial in-person instruction and partial remote instruction, to accommodate the health and safety requirements.

By April 5, all students in kindergarten through grade six must have the opportunity to engage in a hybrid model of instruction. By April 19, all other K-12 students must be provided a hybrid model of instruction.

All school districts must meet at least 30% of average weekly instructional hours on-campus for all K-12 students and must offer at least two days of on-campus in-person instruction per week.