The biggest challenge for schools in new year is staffing, Reykdal says
.JPG "State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal talks to the media about the decision to close schools in response to COVID-19 on March 12.")
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal spoke Friday about the state of K-12 students, educators and schools as the state continues to battle the global COVID-19 pandemic and the recent widespread outbreak of the omicron variant.
Reykdal acknowledged outbreaks in schools, but assured the public that schools are some of the safest places for students to be right now because of all the safety and health protocols required.
Still, Reykdal reiterated that omicron cases are high, the cases in the next few weeks will be high, and that they will peak rapidly.
He said even with a “challenging” three or four weeks coming, there will not be any statewide closures under the current circumstances.
The biggest risk is to staffing, he said. Reykdal said parents should expect to see school closures locally if classrooms are understaffed, but said that OSPI will not make those decisions. More than seven schools throughout the state are currently closed, according to OSPI.
He also addressed the mental health of the state’s students.
According to data from OSPI collected by a survey last year, two-thirds of middle schoolers and half of high schoolers reported feeling hopeless. Reykdal acknowledged that there is “clearly something larger in society than the pandemic,” but the pandemic has certainly exacerbated that.
He said there is a need to partner with community resources to ensure students have timely access to tools that will target mental health issues. While there is a shortage in labor now, permanent funding should be able to help in the long term.
There has also been a decrease in enrollment numbers because of the pandemic, he said.
Because funding for schools is typically dependent on enrollment numbers, OSPI is asking the legislature not to pull back on school investments for the “temporary blip.” Instead, they are asking to see if this is a more permanent change before making any other adjustments.
OSPI is also asking the legislature to sponsor a bill for single executive leadership in K-12 governance. Reykdal, in full support of the bill, said his current position would no longer be an elected position, but instead would be appointed by the governor. This would require a constitutional amendment.
Reykdal touched on other issues, too.
He acknowledged a lawsuit against the state of Washington that may eventually end up before the Supreme Court that will ask the court to look at the capital budget. Currently, local voters have to pass a bond with 60 percent of the vote to pay for school construction. The state then has a matching formula. However, 86 percent of school funding comes from local voters, so it’s possible in low-income districts that projects can remain severely underfunded, he said. While in the works, the case will likely take years to settle.
He said graduation numbers for the class of 2021 were 82.5 percent, which is a slight reduction from the previous year. Reykdal said he wants to put an emphasis on graduation, as he believes that secondary education is becoming an “economic imperative.”
Reykdal also discussed plans for the next session including a bill that would allow students to get credit for working, and a bill to create a residency program of sorts for educators.
OSPI is looking at a “balanced calendar,” but Reykdal was quick to point out that it is not the same as year-round school. Washington students would still only have 180 days in school, but the summers could potentially be shorter, with longer breaks throughout the year.
Reykdal urged everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, and reminded the public that boosters are now available for 12 and older. Although Washington is ahead of the national average on vaccinations for 5-11 year olds, the number is “still too low,” he said.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 2:20 PM.
