The Easton School District decided to continue remote learning in the fall. This decision was made July 31, six days before the county’s recommendation to start education online.
Easton superintendent Patrick Dehuff said at the July 31 school board meeting, Kittitas County Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Larson informed the board he planned to make the recommendation to the county.
“We were looking at the rise in cases,” Dehuff said. “For us it is always safety first, for our students and their families, first and foremost, and of course our staff. That was what really steered the board of directors that direction, their concern for safety.”
According to Dehuff, the district will be using the online programs Schoology and MobyMax. He said the district has heard good things about these programs and they will help not only remote education but will be useful when the district is cleared to return to in-person learning.
Wi-Fi hotspots have been purchased by the district for families that don’t have a good connection. Dehuff said the district is going to pay for everything involved in the hotspots, without any charge to students and families.
Dehuff thanked Shoemakers Manufacturing and Suncadia Resort and Spa for grant funding to help provide these services. Each of these organizations gave $2,500 each to the district.
“We really want our kids back, that’s what we want but we want to also be safe,” Dehuff said. “We are committed to doing the very best we can on providing remote instruction. This whole thing that happened in the spring caught everybody by surprise… We had some time to reflect on that, and are gearing up to do the very best we can.”
