Othello School District announces reopening plan for 2021-22

OTHELLO — Summer school for Othello School District elementary students will be revised, more tutoring will be offered to students in the 2021-22 school year, and district officials don’t plan to implement year-round school.

District superintendent Pete Perez presented the district’s school reopening plan, on which school board members will vote Monday, during the May 10 meeting of the Othello School Board.

Perez said the plan is required for school districts applying for grants through the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program. The plans are designed to address the impact on students as a result of the closure of schools during the COID-19 pandemic.

“There are some ideas out there that come from OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction),” Perez said. “These are not representative of what the Othello School District is putting together.”

Among them are year-round school, what Perez called a “balanced calendar.” Extending the school year, although stopping short of year-round school, was another option. Perez said Othello district officials don’t plan to implement either of those.

John Wiseman, the district’s director of professional learning, said each elementary will host its own summer school this year. Previously, elementary summer school was held at one site, Wiseman said. Wiseman said the number of summer school students this year will be about the same.

Wiseman said the advantage of summer school based in each building is kids are familiar with their school, and will waste less time getting used to a new routine.

When the 2021-22 school year starts, Perez said district officials plan one-on-one tutoring for some elementary students and extra instruction will be offered before and after school.

According to an analysis conducted by the district, some kids were more affected by the school closures than others. Some of the biggest impacts were felt by low-income students, English-language learners, students with disabilities, students in foster care or dealing with homelessness will get additional tutoring and support, Perez said.

Districts will be required to report their progress periodically throughout the year, and Perez said district officials will conduct extensive testing to determine the effectiveness of instruction.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.