Amid the fierce debate over reopening schools, CNN featured an Ohio high school that has remained open for in-person instruction five days a week since last fall with a COVID-19 infection case rate of only 2%.

For millions of Americans, CNN said, the daily scene at Watkins Memorial High School in the Southwest Licking Local School District near Columbus, Ohio, is “a reminder of how things were a year ago before pandemic lockdowns or a hoped-for future was still too far away to see clearly.”

Everyone wears masks and desks are spaced three feet apart, rather than the CDC guideline of six feet. Teachers have freedom to move around the classrooms and students, CNN says, “can easily ask questions and see their friends, in the flesh, in school, five days a week.”

Principal Melissa Ladowitz said she was “astounded” at how well the reopening went after administrators partnered with local health officials to make a plan. The push to reopen began when a summertime survey of parents found 70% wanted to reopen.

The decision initially drew skepticism from teacher Alisha Sleeper, who was scared of being exposed to COVID-19 at school. But she now believes the protocols are keeping teachers safe.

The level of COVID-19 among children reflects cases in the community.

“The spread is not there,” she told CNN of coronavirus infections. “We just set our expectations and the children have followed it, and it’s been fantastic. You get to middle school and high school, and you think that there’s going to be this defiance. … What we’ve found is they want to be in school and they are happy to follow our guidance and controlled environment.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has mandated that all schools offer in-person learning by Monday and is offering vaccines for all teachers.

Meanwhile, in Washington state, after teachers unions pressured Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee to let them jump the line and get vaccinated before others, the Seattle Education Association nevertheless voted Wednesday night to stay out of classrooms, reported KTTH radio host Jason Rantz in Seattle.

Critics of the teachers union argue remote learning is failing students academically and the isolation is causing deep emotional distress.

‘This isn’t a partisan issue’