MATTAWA — Wahluke School District officials are considering a proposal to delay the start of the 2020-21 school year. Whenever school starts, all first quarter classes will be online.

Interim superintendent Andy Harlow detailed the district’s reopening plan in a presentation for district patrons July 30.

All schools were closed statewide in mid-March as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Harlow said coronavirus cases currently are increasing in Grant County and in Mattawa, and district officials don’t think Grant County Health District will give approval to let kids on school campuses.

Classes will be online through the first quarter regardless of the status of the outbreak, Harlow said.

Currently the first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 27. Harlow said district officials are considering pushing the school opening back two weeks, to allow teachers, parents and students more time to get ready for online classes.

Harlow said all five Wahluke School Board members said they would support delaying the opening of school if a delay gets the district closer to returning kids to campus.

School officials have hired three people to contact district patrons and help them find training and resources for online learning, Harlow said. The district wants to offer some training to parents, and is working to make it available during the evening as well as daytime sessions.

Parents will have the option to sign up for a year-round online school for the 2020-21 school year, Harlow said. It’s an option for parents who are concerned about letting their children come back to school, he explained, and for parents who are concerned about disruption if the district transitions out of an online-only model.

District officials are still working on the details, Harlow said, but parents can expect more information on the year-round online option sometime in the next week to 10 days.

Harlow laid out two options if students are allowed to come back in the buildings after the first quarter of the school year. The preferred solution would be to return to traditional school, he said, with kids back on campus five days per week.

But if that’s not allowed, district officials have come up with a plan to have kids in school two days per week and continue with online learning two days per week. Students who need extra help would come to school on Monday.

Half the students would be in school on any given day, and would be required to wear masks and maintain the social distancing rules, Harlow said.

As of now, high school sports will continue, but junior high sports have been canceled at least for the fall, he added.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].