School starts Sept.7 for Waitsburg students

WAITSBURG—Summer is coming to a close, and teachers at the Waitsburg School District have returned to their classrooms ahead of their students.

Superintendent Mark Pickel shared that teachers have been working diligently to prepare their classrooms, making them as safe as possible as students come back to school for in-person instruction. The goal is to keep the school as familiar as possible, capturing essential parts of the school’s community as it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are working very hard to do what we can to remain in-person,” said Pickel.

Masks for students and all staff will be required while inside campus buildings, as required by recent mandates. Families are encouraged to be cautious as the school start date approaches.

COVID-19 cases in Walla Walla and Columbia counties have continued to climb, with 35 active cases in Columbia County, and 561 active cases in Walla Walla County. Nineteen cases in Walla Walla County were hospitalized as of August 31.