OSPI is the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. They provide guidance for all the school districts across the state. Along with the Governor’s office, the OSPI has provided all guidance for school closures due to COVID-19.  OSPI has provided an update for the fall reopening of schools. 

School Districts then need to take this guidance and come up with a plan for their district that takes into account the specifics of their district. For us, that will be Seattle Public Schools and they have provided their plan for re-entry here. From there, each school building in Seattle Public Schools will need to take the district plan and apply it to their building, and each teacher will apply the building plan to their classroom.

When looking at information from OSPI, keep in mind that they are creating a framework for all districts, rural, suburban, and urban, across the state. There is tremendous variation in the districts. There are tiny school districts (Concrete School District served 524 students last year) and there are big school districts (Seattle Public Schools served 55,844 students last year). There are differences in terms of resources, the layout of school buildings, transportation needs, access to internet, and more, not to mention differences in how each area is being impacted by COVID19.

Please continue to check back to the OSPI and SPS for updates as summer progresses.