On Wednesday, Sweet Home School District Superintendent Tom Yahraes hit send on an email to parents outlining the plan to bring students back to classrooms and warning that school will not be the same.Â
Since April, most students have been barred from in-person instruction by state metrics surrounding the spread of COVID-19. In December, Gov. Kate Brown announced those metrics would be altered on Jan. 19 and would become advisory rather than mandatory, placing the decision about reopening squarely in local districts.Â
And while the decision is local, the circumstances surrounding it are still shaped by state mandates. Students must wear face coverings, practice social distancing and classes must be smaller.Â