La Grande School Board makes grad request of governor

Apr. 16—LA GRANDE — The La Grande School Board is asking Gov. Kate Brown to make a decision that would have a dramatic effect on high school graduation ceremonies across the state.

The board in a letter on Wednesday, April 14, is asking Brown to give the La Grande School District and others in Oregon the ability to consider their own COVID-19 risks and safety protocols for graduations. La Grande School Board member Merle Comfort said having that greater level of freedom would allow school districts, such as La Grande, to have students attend graduation ceremonies with family members present.

The request comes the same week North Powder schools returned to distance education due to a COVID-19 exposure and Union County had another death from the virus.

Robin Maille, chair of the La Grande School Board, read the letter to the board at the April 14 meeting.

"We are fast approaching graduation for the class of 2021," Maille read. "Unfortunately, the final experience these students will have in high school will be guided by our local county risk level. If risk levels remain moderate, high or extreme, the class of 2021 may never be together this final year of their public-school education. This is an incredibly sad situation."

Therefore, the letter continues, the school board asked Brown to "consider making a special exemption of guidance for graduation events or move the guidance to advisory."

Doing so, according to the letter, would allow school districts to consider their own COVID-19 risks and safety protocols for commencement ceremonies.

Maille said the class of 20121 deserves to be able to get together for graduation, especially after what it has been through due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The class of 2021 has been impacted more than any other class from COVID-19. Let us give them an in-person graduation experience with all of their classmates. This can be done safely and will send a message to students, as well as all Oregonians where our future is headed," Maille said in the letter.

COVID-19 dramatically altered the graduation ceremony last spring for La Grande High School and the other high schools in Northeast Oregon. The pandemic forced the school district to conduct a drive-thru graduation where students in vehicles with their families received their diplomas from school officials and school board members in front of the high school.

La Grande High Principal Brett Baxter said a poll of LHS students indicated 55% would prefer to have a traditional graduation this year. Baxter said a traditional graduation would be a return to a sense of normalcy the students want.

Exposure in North Powder School District

Students in the North Powder School District returned to online learning Thursday, April 15, after more than 30 students were exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Superintendent Lance Dixon in a press release said the district has been working closely with the Union County Public Health Department and is following the department's recommendation to take this action.

"We have protocols for this situation, and are taking extra precaution to ensure the safety and health of all our students and staff." Dixon said. "We encourage our school community to remain calm, follow health guidelines and work together to get through this situation."

The district will stay in the online learning mode for the week of April 19-22. Students can return to school on Monday, April 26.

Dixon in the press release said the confirmed case was identified earlier this week at the school, and although some cohorts could have remained in school, due to the amount of students and families affected, the district decided this is the best course of action.

The district also canceled athletic events for the next few weeks.

Local case counts

The Oregon Health Authority reported on April 14 the 24th COVID-19 death in Union County: an 88-year-old woman who tested positive Feb. 22 and died April 14. She had underlying conditions, according to OHA, and the state was working to confirm the location of the death.

Union County has 1,409 cases total, with nine new cases reported April 14 and three more April 15. Wallowa County's total as of April 15 was 156. Five people there have died from COVID-19.

Baker County's COVID-19 surge continued this week, with 14 new cases April 13, the highest one-day total since late December 2020, and the third-most since the pandemic began.

Nancy Staten, director of the Baker County Health Department, described the situation as "alarming" during an interview April 13. She said a large majority of the county's cases over the past few weeks — including those the OHA reported April 13 — have been traced to parties and other social gatherings.

"People have COVID fatigue," Staten said. "People want to gather."

But if too many residents cease taking precautions — as the recent rise in cases, and their origins, suggest is happening — the effects can be widespread, Staten said.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise statewide as well, with the OHA reporting 816 new cases April 14 and 733 April 15. Oregon's total number of cases as of April 15 stood at 172,931. The virus as of April 15 has claimed a total of 2,455 lives in Oregon.

The Oregon Health Authority also reported Region 9 — Baker, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa counties — has less than 50% capacity for intensive care unit beds, with nine out of 17 occupied for the region. But as of April 15, only one of those was a COVID-19 patient, down from two the day before.

Out of the region's 136 staffed non-ICU beds, 54 remain open.

— EO Media Group members contributed to this article.