COVID-19 outbreak prompts Eatonville school to return to fully remote learning

EATONVILLE, Wash. — Eatonville Middle School is temporarily stopping in-person learning and shifting to a fully remote model due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Eatonville School District told KIRO 7 that “greater than 10% of the student population is currently quarantined. We saw a rapid increase in illness. Several classrooms had been infected.”

The school has a tentative reopening date set for Oct. 11 but stated it will consult with the state health department to determine a permanent date.

Eatonville Middle School has 396 students. There are 23 classroom teachers at the school, according the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The middle school canceled classes Friday so teachers could prepare to convert to a fully remote learning model.

Athletic programs at the middle school are also on pause until further notice.

According to the Washington State Department of Health, an outbreak in a non-healthcare congregate setting such as schools, restaurants or childcare facilities, is defined by the following criteria being met:

1. Two or more laboratory positive (PCR or antigen) COVID‐19 cases.

2. At least two of the cases have symptom onset dates within 14 days of each other.

3. Plausible epidemiological evidence of transmission in a shared location other than a household is observed.

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