A6
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021
Schools: Some will continue to off er online learning
Continued from Page A1
Under state rules, the dis-
trict can only put so many stu-
dents on a bus and must sep-
arate students into cohorts in
classrooms and on buses. In
a normal school year, the dis-
trict might run around 24 or
25 bus trips to get students to
school. This year, the district
is running nearly double that
number.
“If they loosen (social dis-
tance rules) up and do it in a
safe manner, that will allow
us to be able to free up the
bus schedule to get more kids
in session,” said Craig Hop-
pes, the superintendent for the
Astoria School District.
Seaside
faces
simi-
lar issues, said Superinten-
dent Susan Penrod. She said
among the biggest challenges
to bringing back all students
full time are social distance
requirements, including the
need to provide a minimum of
35 square feet per person in a
classroom.
“If that is loosened up, that
does allow for more students,”
she said.
The Warrenton-Hammond
School District, which has had
students in classrooms consis-
tently when possible since the
start of the school year, is able
to bus students in, but faces
challenges when it comes to
sustaining the staff it built up
to meet the needs of the school
‘IT’S JUST A
WAY WE’RE
DEVELOPING
EDUCATION
AS WE GO. AND
IF WE DON’T
WE’LL END UP
LOSING THOSE
KIDS.’
Craig Hoppes | superintendent
for the Astoria School District
year.
The school district created
extra classrooms and hired
more teaching staff as state
social distancing requirements
meant they had to spread stu-
dents out across multiple
classrooms.
“We know (school) could
be what it is now,” Super-
intendent Tom Rogozinski
said. “We could continue that,
except that it’s fi nancially
tough to sustain.”
Bill Fritz, the superinten-
dent of the Knappa School
District, doesn’t expect much
clarity from the state on what
districts should plan for until
August. He does expect masks
to continue to be in the mix. As
for everything else — “we’ll
pivot when that comes.”
The state has been learn-
ing along with school districts
throughout the pandemic,
Hoppes said, but he hopes any
new guidance will be provided
in a “timely manner that allows
us to plan appropriately.”
“School districts are a
big machine,” he said. “You
just don’t turn on a dime and
change overnight.”
Pandemic-era changes
Some school districts do
plan to hold on to certain pan-
demic-era changes, regardless
of state guidance.
Throughout the pandemic,
there have been concerns
about the toll of distance learn-
ing on students’ emotional
well-being, whether they were
engaged with classes and
which students were being
left behind through online
schooling.
The pandemic also led
some families to question how
they wanted to educate their
children, and the best way
their children learned. Some
were worried about exposure
to the virus and returning to
school too soon. Others found
they craved more fl exibility.
They turned to home school-
ing, online academies, online
charter schools or the online
coursework off ered through
school districts.
Now, as certain districts
open up to allow more stu-
dents back in-person, adminis-
trators know there are a num-
ber of students who thrived
online and families who dis-
covered remote learning
worked well for them.
Knappa, Warrenton and
Astoria all plan to off er online
schooling into the future. The
Seaside School District may
also continue with an online
option, but will survey fami-
lies before making a decision.
Rogozinski knows some of
the families in his s chool d is-
trict prefer an online alterna-
tive but don’t want to com-
pletely disconnect from the
school district.
In Astoria, children who
stay online will still be a part
of the district, able to partici-
pate in extracurricular activ-
ities in-person like any other
student. Right now, about
25% of district students have
opted to stay entirely remote
— a statistic refl ected in other
districts across the county and
state.
While that number will
likely go down next school
year with more students
returning in-person, Hoppes
anticipates some will want to
continue online.
“We know that we have
to do something to support
those students next year, and
I think for years to come,” he
told school board members at
a recent meeting.
“It’s just a way we’re devel-
oping education as we go,” he
added, “and if we don’t we’ll
end up losing those kids.”
County reports four new virus cases
The Astorian
Clatsop County on Friday
reported four new coronavirus cases.
The cases include a man and a
woman in their 20s and a woman in
her 30s living in the northern part of
the county. A man in his 50s living
in the southern part of the county
also tested positive for the virus.
All four were recovering at home.
The county has recorded 791
cases since the pandemic began .
According to the county, 18 were
hospitalized and six have died.
Eaton: ‘When I stop and contact people I will listen’
Continued from Page A1
like school drunken-driving
awareness programs or taking
kids to “shop-with-a-cop.”
But it off ered challenges.
“In your hometown, you are
going to stop people — and
people that you know pretty
well,” he said.
For minor off enses, options
of a verbal or written warn-
ing or a ticket off er fl exibility.
“I probably gave people one
break, but they then know I’m
out here,” he said. “They get
one opportunity and then they
know that I had to do what I
have to do.”
Eaton admits he became
somewhat hardened. “When
I fi rst started, I was naive. I
would take what people threw
at me,” he said. “But about
eight or nine years in, I started
being … I found that my grace
has disappeared.
“I never had any real issues
with anybody,” he added. “I
feel like I have done a pretty
good job being as professional
as I can. When I stop and con-
tact people I will listen, but
I’m not going to start an argu-
ment about it.”
Eaton signed up as a cadet
during the week of rioting in
Los Angeles after the police
beating of Rodney King was
caught on video. In the inter-
vening 30 years, support for
law enforcement has dimin-
ished. He has mixed views
about recommending it as a
career. “It’s a lot harder for me
to to do that,” he said.
“In my fi rst seven or
eight years on the freeway, I
never wore my (bullet proof)
vest,” he recalled. “Maybe
that was feeling young and
‘invincible?’”
Now protective gear is
mandatory; his Chevrolet
Tahoe was equipped with a
rifl e, as well as a shotgun with
non lethal rounds.
“You had a feeling then
that people were not out to get
you,” he said. “I feel you have
to be way more concerned and
on top of your game.”
Academy trainees watched
a video of offi cers being shot.
“Your No. 1 job is to make
it home at night,” he said,
repeating his instructors’ man-
tra. “You get training and
walk up to a car and know
what might happen. You must
be cordial, but you have to be
prepared.”
Although he discov-
ered weapons while making
arrests, they have never been
used to threaten him. “I have
never had any really hairy
things happen to me,” he said.
“No one has tried to use a gun
against me.”
One sad memory was
returning from an oil change
in Warrenton. A car stopped
on top of the Astoria Bridge.
“I thought he had bro-
ken down,” Eaton said, as
he recalled the memory of
watching the driver get out
and jump to his death. He
radioed the U.S. Coast Guard
while managing stopped traf-
fi c. “There was no eye con-
tact. I didn’t have a chance to
say anything,” he said.
His 1991 academy class-
mate, Capt. Ron Mead, of Bel-
levue, attended Eaton’s retire-
ment party. “He was a big man
with a small voice,” Mead
chuckled, recalling their fi rst
meeting. “You have left the
profession and the agency bet-
ter for your 30 years’ service.”
That was echoed by his
supervisor, Sgt. Brad Moon.
“He is just a natural leader,
a calm and humble person,
not easily excitable, and he is
good with people at the scene
(of an accident),” he said. “It’s
not just a motto: ‘service with
humility.’”
Wyden: ‘There are
better times ahead’
CAHOOTS program from
the White Bird Clinic in
Wyden said he and col- Eugene.
Saturday marked the
leagues worked hard to
ensure that seafood was one-year anniversary of the
included among the com- killing of Breonna Taylor
modities that can be pur- in Louisville, Kentucky, by
chased using $4 billion allo- police executing a no-knock
cated in the relief package search warrant. Earlier this
to the U.S. Department of month, the House passed
the George Floyd Justice in
Agriculture.
“We think that this really Policing Act, named for the
could be of help to seafood Minnesota man who was
processors on the coast who killed in May after an offi -
are really under very dif- cer kneeled on his neck for
fi cult pressure to be able several minutes.
The legislation would
to stay afl oat,” the senator
ban chokeholds like the
said.
As chairman of the one used on Floyd and
Senate Finance Commit- no-knock warrants in drug
tee, Wyden played an inte- cases like the one used to
gral role in crafting the lat- raid Taylor’s apartment. It
est stimulus , which he would overhaul the doctrine
called the largest package of qualifi ed immunity for
of jobless assistance in U.S. law enforcement and create
a national database of police
history.
The act includes more misconduct.
The bill faces an uncer-
than $230 million to Ore-
gonians in rental assistance, tain future in the Senate,
Wyden said, along with $35 where it needs Republi-
can votes to
million to
pass. Wyden
help home-
said he sup-
owners. He
THE ACT
ports
the
said he had
INCLUDES
legislation.
spoken with
Since
Treasury
MORE
joining
Secretary
THAN $230
the
Sen-
Janet Yellen
ate in 1996 ,
on how to
MILLION TO
Wyden has
get relief out
quickly.
OREGONIANS pushed to
expand
Wy d e n
IN RENTAL
mail-in vot-
was hope-
ing, used in
ful
about
ASSISTANCE
Oregon for
a renewed
more than
focus
on
a raft of issues, includ- two decades and temporar-
ing housing, homeless- ily adopted around the U.S.
ness, mental health and during the November elec-
drug prices, under Presi- tion in response to the pan-
dent Joe Biden and a Dem- demic. Republican legis-
ocrat-controlled Congress. lators across the country
He blamed Sen. Mitch have introduced dozens of
McConnell, a Republi- bills to make it harder to
can from Kentucky and vote, basing the eff orts on
the former S enate majority unsupported claims of voter
leader, for blocking biparti- fraud .
“We’ve got stop the
san legislation, such as the
Prescription Drug Pricing eff orts to suppress the vote,
Reduction Act that Wyden and then we have to pro-
introduced with Sen. Chuck mote fresh ways to expand
Grassley, a Republican it,” Wyden said. “The Ore-
from Iowa, to prevent price gon way works. It’s cost-ef-
increases higher than infl a- fective. We have not had
tion on commonly used fraud.”
Americans forwarded
medications.
“Now, as you know, their clocks one hour at
the Congress has changed 2 a.m. Sunday for eight
hands,” Wyden said. “And months of daylight saving
I can tell you the leadership time, before pushing them
of both the House and the back an hour in Novem-
Senate is committed to get- ber. Wyden said he supports
ting action now on holding the Sunshine Protection Act
introduced by Sen. Marco
down prices.”
Noting a spike in men- Rubio, a Republican from
tal health crises during the Florida, to make daylight
pandemic, Wyden touted saving time permanent.
Livestreaming the vir-
the Crisis Assistance Help-
ing Out On The Streets Act tual town hall from the
he introduced with sev- offi ces of The Astorian,
eral other senators . The bill Wyden remarked on the
grants states three years of sunny Saturday afternoon
enhanced Medicaid fund- and people he saw hanging
ing for community based out downtown.
“It really refl ected on the
response to mental health
and substance abuse cri- proposition that there are
ses. It is modeled after the better times ahead,” he said.
Continued from Page A1
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