As a school community, Bethel strives to provide clear, consistent and transparent communication as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Bethel is committed to providing updated information regarding health and safety requirements, COVID procedures and policies, as well as up-to-date data regarding positive COVID cases in our schools as regularly as possible. Information provided on this page is subject to change with updated recommendations, guidelines and data. 

Information about the pandemic, school health and safety measures, and supports for families can be found throughout this page. Have questions? Reach out to communications@bethel.k12.or.us. 

Oregon Health Authority mask announcement 

On Wednesday, March 2, the Oregon Department of Education released an updated Ready Schools, Safe Learners Resiliency Framework (RSSL) which outlines details of how school district can approach the next phase of this pandemic. This update follows Bethel’s announcement on Tuesday that masks will become optional for all students and staff beginning Monday, March 14. Read more on that announcement here.

The updated guidance covers a range of topics. The following bullets are a few notable pieces from the updated document and what they mean for Bethel schools:

Beginning Monday, March 14:

• Mask-wearing will be optional for all students. Mask-wearing may still remain required for some staff.
• Bethel will not differentiate in any way between vaccinated or unvaccinated students
• We will still notify families if a COVID exposure occurs in their child’s classroom or cohort. This will allow families to take additional precautions according to their particular health needs.
• Contact tracing will no longer required. Because Omicron spreads so quickly, by the time a COVID exposure is identified and contact tracing is performed, transmission has already occurred.
• Students and staff will not be required to quarantine when they are exposed to a positive case of COVID-19, if they are asymptomatic
• COVID-19 testing will still be offered when students and staff are exposed to a positive case of COVID-19
• Masks will not be required on First Student school buses, however, masks will remain required to be worn on Bethel Transportation buses.

Have questions? Reach out to Alisha Dodds at communications@bethel.k12.or.us

In some cases, exclusion from school and isolation from others may still be required by the Oregon Health Authority. The following chart provides clarity regarding isolation and exclusion, as well as an overview of how decisions are made regarding COVID-19 in K-12 schools in Oregon. 

Bethel COVID-19 Dashboard

COVID-19 cases identified in schools will be tracked in a publicly accessible online dashboard. The dashboard displays information regarding the number of current positive cases within each school. The dashboard also displays data for the number of students who are actively quarantined due to an exposure or positive case. Active cases are not necessarily due to an exposure or positive case at school.

Versión en español: Tablero COVID-19 Del Distrito Escolar de Bethel.

This dashboard allows for increased transparency and community access to pertinent information about COVID-19 in our school community. Families who are interested in seeing the number of active cases and quarantines at their student’s school can view this information at any time. Data is updated at least twice per week.

Staying home when sick

The Bethel district is thrilled to be serving students in person this school year. In an effort to continue in-person learning, we ask that students stay home from school when they are feeling ill, regardless of vaccination status. In addition, students must stay home if they are experiencing symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. This helps to keep students and staff from becoming ill and allows other students to continue learning in the classroom. More details from Oregon Department of Education, here. 

Getting tested: The Bethel District can provide COVID-19 tests to any students, families or staff who want them. Please inquire with front office staff at your school to learn more. 

There are a number of local testing sites available to students and staff in the district.