Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Colfax School board met Monday night, Dec. 21, for its final meeting of the year, appointing officers and taking in a report from Superintendent Jerry Pugh on what may come next year for more in-person learning.
Pugh first filled in the board about a letter he was part of putting together, led by superintendents from Reardan and Davenport, and signed by 71 athletic directors, superintendents and principals across Eastern Washington, which called for school co-and extra-curricular activities to be brought back, saying it can be done safely.
Pugh noted that more names were signing onto the letter, dated Dec. 10, which would go out to Governor Jay Inslee Dec. 22.
The week before, Dec. 17, a group of superintendents came to Colfax to gather, at a distance, in the gym, and listened to Chris Skidmore, interim Whitman County health director.
“I think we’re really gonna see a focus, at the state and federal level, for people to get immunized (for Covid-19),” said Pugh. “There are a lot of opinions on this... and for us to get over the hump on this thing, we need to get 85 percent immunized, then facemasks can come off.”
He estimated that the vaccine will be available to school staff in about a month.
Pugh also told the board of a letter received from the parent of a senior at the high school, asking about when more in-person learning and activities may be permitted.
“Certainly everybody is antsy,” Pugh said. “How quickly can we move forward? There’s that feeling of, ‘there’s too much caution out there’... I really feel I’m not qualified in epidemiology to go against the (county) department of health. We still have an insurance company saying it’s pretty tough to go against the medical experts, if something is to transpire.”
Pugh noted that the district has seen no transference of Covid-19 cases within it, although nine cases have been recorded in the district, attributed it to coming from outside contacts such as a parent.
“There is strong data and evidence that we can bring kids back, but we run into not having room in the classrooms (for keeping six feet apart),” Pugh said. “The frustrating thing is, schools on the west side, most are not coming back, as there is a fear of contracting it in schools... The data is showing that is not the case... David (Gibb – Colfax Jr.-Sr. High School principal) and I are in discussions regarding bringing kids back.”
He noted some of the parameters to do so, by state guidelines, such as reaching the Low-Risk category of under 50 cases for a population of 100,000 people over two weeks, for in-person education, each day, for every grade.
“To get to that 50 range and get all kids back is virtually impossible,” said Pugh. “But at 85 percent vaccinated, then it doesn’t matter, though I don’t think that will happen.”
As of Dec. 21, Whitman County remained in the High Risk category, with 367 cases/100,000/two weeks.
Looking ahead, Pugh pointed to after Jan. 1 as a telltale week.
“For myself, I’m thoroughly pleased that after Thanksgiving we didn’t see a bump,” he said, noting that many WSU students did not return to Pullman after the break. “Two weeks after New Year’s Eve, is what I’m most concerned about.”
For questions from the school board, outgoing president Jennifer Hauser asked about the possibility of taking a small step forward and seeing how it goes.
Pugh concurred, saying that he could meet with Skidmore without other superintendents and “begin having a frank discussion about Colfax.”
“I have pressured and argued and debated with the health department,” Pugh said. “But in most weeks, we’re the second highest (town) in the county for (new cases). People are truly, truly nervous what this will look like outside the holiday season.”
He concluded by telling the board he is happy to meet with Skidmore on this.
For board officers for 2021, Terry Huber will succeed Hauser, with Brian Becker as vice chair.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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