School Board votes 3-2 to move forward
by Dennis Rahm
Nearly 100 people attended the Tuesday night Zoom meeting of the Lake Chelan School Board to listen and comment on whether the districts upper grade students should return to in-classroom learning in December.
Teachers, Staff, students and parents participated in the meeting which ended with a split 2-2 vote by board members. It was ultimately decided by the yes vote of the Board Chair to move forward with a plan that will see grades 7-8 return on December 7, and grades 9-12 on December 14.
School District Superintendent Barry DePaoli said there was a lot of lively discussion both opposed to and in favor of the return to the classroom.
Said DePaoli, “I was impressed by the level of civility by all who participated in the meeting.” He went on to say he was proud of how the school board worked together in making a tough decision. A decision ultimately made to benefit the students in the District.
LakeChelanNow spoke with DePaoli following the meeting and the at-length discussion on returning to school in the midst of the COVID pandemic can be heard in the interview below. One of the topics discussed centers on a concern over the doubling of failure rates for students under the remote learning model.
This is such a difficult decision for School Boards — Barry DePaoli
For additional information about the School District’s Return to Learn protocols, visit their website.
