Some So. Oregon school districts transition back to full distance learning

MEDFORD, Ore. — As coronavirus cases rise across the state, some southern Oregon school districts are transitioning all students back to comprehensive distance learning.

For about three weeks, Kindergarten through 6th grade students at the Klamath Falls City School District had in-person hybrid instruction.

That’s after Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced new metrics in early November bringing roughly 130,000 students back to the classroom.

Now, superintendent Paul Hillyer says all students are back at home but the district will still be having limited in-person instruction for vulnerable students.

“We’re hoping now that Thanksgiving is done and we’re kind of in between different holidays hopefully those case numbers will go down so we can get the kids back in school again,” Hillyer said.

According to the latest ODE guidelines, Hillyer says there needs to be a positivity rate of 137 positive cases for two weeks and less than 10 percent of tests turning out positive also in that two week period, to bring students back to the classroom.

Other school districts including Klamath County School District, Grants Pass School District 7, and Three Rivers, are also transitioning back to full distance learning until their county coronavirus case numbers improve.