Wenatchee School Board Tables Full-Time, In-Person Return for Secondary

Wenatchee middle and high school students will not be going back to the classroom full time this school year.

That was the decision by the school board in a meeting Tuesday night.

Michelle Sandberg says it's important to understand that most kids are not eligible for the vaccine and COVID could still impact them.

"This is not the time for us to go back to full-time. I look forward to the fall when we have more pieces in place, hopefully we're closer to herd immunity and hopefully we'll be closer to getting our students vaccinated. This is a marathon, not a sprint and we're still in it."

Board member Julie Norton had asked for the conversation with the hopes of returning kids to school noting the CDC says kids are safer in school.

Board President Laura Jaecks says now might not be the right time.

"In order for me to feel comfortable voting to return our students back to school right now, the numbers would have to be significantly lower for a long period of time. In my view they have not been."

Norton says that not only is it safer for students in schools, but it could address what she called the mental health crisis.