Ridgefield delays hybrid in-person learning for kindergartners

Kindergarten students in Ridgefield will have to wait until January to see their classrooms for the first time.

The school district announced it is delaying hybrid in-person learning for its youngest students until Jan. 5. The district planned to bring kindergartners into buildings Monday, Nov. 30, at its two elementary schools, Union Ridge and South Ridge, but rising COVID-19 numbers locally led officials to put their plan on pause.

Clark County’s COVID-19 two-week activity level was 254.45 new cases per 100,000 population as of last week, a level state health officials say warrants distance learning with the option of in-person learning for students who need it most, such as children with disabilities, students living homelessness and younger learners.

Superintendent Nathan McCann said in a letter to families the COVID-19 activity level is not the only metric used to determine a return for in-person learning, but he added, “with the rapid increase over the past few weeks, this is an important metric in this decision at this time.

“Pausing our plan just a little provides valuable time for the new restrictions to mitigate the rise in community cases.”

In Woodland, elementary students in second, third and fourth grades rolled back to remote learning on Monday. The district announced Friday it would keep kindergarten and first-grade students in a hybrid setting, while transitioning students in second, third and fourth grades back to remote learning because of recent COVID-19 numbers.

Its three elementary schools welcomed students in kindergarten through fourth grade for hybrid learning Nov. 2.