The Yakima School District congratulates the Yakima community for the recent downward trend of COVID-19 transmission. Community transmission remains high, but we are hopeful that the decrease in positive cases will continue.

As planned, on February 8, YSD added approximately 3,000 students for some optional in-person support (a tutoring model with all new learning still happening remotely). On February 22, preschool students will be invited to return for in-person learning. Details for impacted families will be sent directly to them from their student’s school two weeks prior.

Further, we are thrilled to be able to move our operations toward Stage B, Subgroup 8 (hybrid learning) of our four-stage reopening plan.

For our Kindergartners, 1st graders, 2nd graders, 6th graders, and 9th graders the transition to hybrid learning begins the week of March 1. Details for impacted families with students in these grades will be sent directly to them from their student’s schools two weeks prior.

The week of March 15 will begin partial in-person (hybrid) learning for grades 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12. Details for impacted families with students in these grades will be sent directly to them from their student’s schools two weeks prior.

Successful implementation will hinge on variables such as the health of our community, the health of our labor force, the continued availability of PPE, cleaning and sanitation resources, and continued and new funding for resources to support our schools during this pandemic. As we have throughout this pandemic, we will proceed cautiously and proactively and will monitor many factors to determine if our operations are in the best interest of our students and our staff.

Two weeks prior to your student entering hybrid learning, your student’s school will contact you with details about what to expect as well as your student’s schedule. In general, families whose last name begins with A-L will be in-person Monday and Tuesday, then remote Wednesday through Friday. Students of families with last names that begin with M-Z will be remote Monday through Wednesday, and in-person Thursday and Friday.

See the school schedules here.

Free student and community youth meals distribution will change the week of March 1. Please tune in to your school's announcements for this information.

See information about bus routes here.

YSD and the Yakima Health District have tracked data since the initial impacts of the pandemic. We estimate that community transmission will be at approximately 200 cases/100,000 over 14 days approximately March 1. We track data from the community and the state and advise the school board weekly on data associated with YSD’s students served in different zip codes; we have also begun tracking the expected variants of COVID-19 and their potential impact on our YSD community.

We have been slowly introducing small groups of students since November. As operations stabilize, we have added more students. Adding too many students and staff at once could negatively impact our operations, specifically the health and safety of our labor force and our community. Implementing the many necessary measures to keep students and staff safe is a job we take very seriously.

Yes. ​A 100% remote Spanish-only option is available for any K-2 Spanish-speaking students in an early exit classroom. Their school administrators will be reaching out to those parents to explain a Spanish-only 100% online option.

Yes. If you prefer that your student receive 100% online learning, you can transfer your student out of their current YSD school to YSD’s 100% online schools. That is Discovery Lab K-5 Online and Yakima Online (for 6-12). Should you have questions about these schools, please contact principal Anna Marie Dufault (dufault.anna@ysd7.org, 573-5401) for Discovery Lab K-5 Online and principal Lois Menard (menard.lois@ysd7.org, 573-5581 or 573-5580) for Yakima Online (6-12). You may also contact our Student and Family Center at 573-7176 or 573-7022. Click here to take action to initiate a transfer for the remainder of the school year to 100% online school.

The health and safety of this team and our students is my number one priority. I want to share with you the numerous safety measures the Yakima School District has taken - going above and beyond what is required - to create an environment where students and staff feels protected as they resume in-person instruction:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Yakima has PPE on hand for distribution across the district. PPE supplies have been acquired to support the specialized needs of classrooms, departments, and all staff/students.

• Physical Distancing: A team has measured the square footage of every space which will be used as a classroom to ensure that appropriate physical distancing will be met while in person.

• Health Attestation: All students and staff attest that they are healthy and fever-free before coming to work each day. Parents/families attest that their students are healthy and participate in a daily temperature check and symptom screenings on campus.

• Small Classes: Students are learning in small class sizes to allow for physical distancing in accordance with state guidelines. Wherever possible, students remain in the same group throughout the day (cohort model).

• Enhanced Cleaning: We have hired additional custodial support and acquired new equipment and technologies to enhance our cleaning efforts throughout the district.

• Closed Campus: We have closed our school facilities to outside groups to manage the numbers of people on-site and to manage sanitation and cleaning of facilities.

• Asymptomatic testing for staff now; working on asymptomatic testing for students: YSD Staff has had the option to voluntarily test for COVID if asymptomatic. We are working on this same opportunity for secondary students.

The Yakima School Board members would like for the community to have full access to Dr. Darling's presentation that was given at the Tuesday, February 16, 2021 school board meeting. As interested parties, please view the presentation and send any questions you may have to your student's school or directly to Dr. Darling (darling.robert@ysd7.org).

ENGLISH: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Pr4nhy9vCD27QUOMB35O6zVPiOa8u2atdj5sV9d8zfM/edit?usp=sharing

SPANISH: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1isPtqoDGK8kdWS0uk7cg1oa6hndWeBudc46f05PAozc/edit?usp=sharing

YSD Reopening Quick Links

• YSD Reopening Plan: 4 Stages

  
  

  https://www.ysd7.org/domain/1091

  
  

  
  

• Reopening Stages A, B, C & D: Where are we today?

  
  

  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19tu9KoZB7eYr1o75zm347fcwtHXL3Tj80rNUoEi71H4/edit?usp=sharing

  
  

  
  

• More Information About Stage B: Subgroups 5-9

  
  

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ksOjSePieqnFQ9iiVZTKnmlXeINmg8ViGUuttTEvBSM/edit?usp=sharing