On July 14 the Chula Vista Elementary School District announced it will begin its 2020-21 school year with its distant learning model beginning Aug. 31.
Superintendent Dr. Francisco Escobedo said in a press release the district is anxious to bring students and staff back to school for in-person instruction, but only in a safe manner.
“It will be in a distance learning format. We will continue to work toward transitioning to in-person instruction but will only do so when guidance from local health officials supports a safe transition back to learning on-site in classrooms,” stated Escobedo. “We know that many parents, students, staff and community members are disappointed by this decision and we understand this will complicate many individual family situations.”
The current plan contains three levels of education: Distance learning during high-risk levels, where 100 percent of learning activities occur while teachers and students are in different locations.
If the city moves toward a medium-risk level, hybrid learning could take place that would reduce the number of students on campus up to 50 percent. In-person instruction would return to 100 percent of learning occuring at schools, but still giving the option to students who feel safer at home to continue with distance learning.
Escobedo said the families that cannot sustain 100 percent distance learning at home and have no options other than to send students to school for the entire day that the district needs to be advised in advance by parents or guardians.
District Communications and Community Development Director Anthony Millican said the district is actively looking at options to provide daycare provisions for families in need.
Millican added that with the current status of COVID-19’s high presence in the city, parents and students should be flexible for the upcoming school year as conditions could change at any given time. He said the district understands the frustration of parents and students who believe that in-person learning should begin immediately.
“In all models we are following the state and county guidelines to the fullest extent and the district will make upcoming decisions based on data,” said Millican.
But Escobedo said that if district school’s move forward to in-person instruction during any time, the district is prepared to roll back to distant learning/hybrid models at any time.
Millican said beginning last year, students were provided devices to help them with the sudden switch to distant learning and that program has not stopped.
With a donation from Cox Communications and Computer 2 Kids San Diego, 100 needy students will have their own device for online learning at no costs to students or families in the district as a part of the new school year. The district also received a donation of 35,333 books through The Molina Foundations in coordination with the San Diego Book Giveaway.
“In addition to the above options, the district is working to develop enrichment materials for all of our students to reduce any lost education opportunities during this health emergency,” said Escobedo. “For parents who are concerned about the impacts of the virus on their student(s), we hope the distance learning model provides a level of comfort. We know that the process of returning to school while adapting to either in-person or online instruction, along with a host of new procedures, will be challenging for everyone in our school communities. But, as we have done throughout this ordeal, we will work together, persevere, and ensure our students are supported in every way possible.”
The district reported that when schools do reopen their doors, up-to-date safety protocols set forth by the California Department of Public Health will be in place. Guidelines and protocols adapt frequently based on the status of the local community. Based on what is known at this time:
• Students are fully expected to wear face coverings; employees are required to wear face coverings. The district plans to provide supervised breaks and outdoor time where students can temporarily remove their masks.
• Handwashing and hygiene will be regularly enforced.
• Daily disinfection of classrooms will occur.
• Daily health screenings and temperature checks will occur.
• Physical distancing will be in place within the classroom to the extent possible and following state/local guidelines.
Escobedo emphasized that between now and the beginning of the school year, the district will communicate frequently and additional information on changes to the school environments will be shared.
“I want to reiterate the pride I have for our community and its response to the ongoing epidemic. The events that began to unfold in March and have continued have created enormous challenges and we as a school district are here to help support our families, staff, and community during this difficult time,” said Escobedo.
