Credit Eugene 4J School District
The Eugene 4J school district announced they will not resume in-person learning until staff for returning grade levels have the opportunity to be vaccinated.
860 doses were given last week to 4J staff, as well as employees with the Lane Education Service District and the Crow-Applegate School District. This includes kindergarten through first grade educators, custodial, food service and transportation staff and people helping with limited in-person instruction.
4J Director of Human Resources Karen Hardin said it may take over a month until staff are fully immunized.
“It might take five weeks to get through round one of all employees, said Hardin. And that really is an estimate. I would hate it if anyone holds us to that and we’re able to go faster or it takes us longer. That’s truly an estimate”
The Eugene 4J school district unanimously approved a COVID-19 temporary leave program during their Wednesday school board meeting. This comes after the
Credit Brian Bull / KLCC News
After schools closed for winter break, Gov. Kate Brown announced on Dec. 23 that school reopening restrictions would shift from mandatory to advisory recommendations. This was with the goal of having more schools statewide return to some form of in-person learning by Feb. 15.
The change to advisory recommendations allows individual districts to return to learning based on their county’s public health conditions. But that doesn’t mean 4J will immediately return to in-person learning.
In-Person Learning May Resume in Feb.
As of now, the district’s reopening plan is to have the youngest grade levels begin a hybrid learning model on Feb. 1 at the earliest, depending on public health conditions.
The Eugene School Board unanimously approved continuing a COVID-19 temporary paid leave program for district employees and heard updates from district leaders related to vaccinations for district employees.
Conversations about COVID-19 and returning to in-person learning were front-of-mind at the board meeting, as they have been for months. However, for the first time, district leaders had a timeline for when that might be able to happen with vaccines, following Gov. Kate Brown s announcement Tuesday night that K-12 employees could get the vaccine starting Jan. 23.
Eugene School District s Superintendent Cydney Vandercar and Spokesperson Kerry Delf said 4J will keep its commitment to bring back its lowest grades for hybrid instruction on Feb. 1 at the very earliest. It s possible considering the local public health situation that the district could bring students back later.