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Good Morning Parents, Staff, and Community, I know that everyone is wanting an update on our district reopening plans. I would like to share the following update with everyone. As you may or may not know we learned yesterday prior to our evening board meeting that, Stanislaus County has moved from Tier 1 Purple to Tier 2 Red which means more and more schools get the green light to begin the reopening of schools without a waiver. The board took action last night to not apply for a waiver since it limits the number of students and grade levels that can return. Instead, it directed the administration to proceed with a survey of parents and staff before we set a reopening date. Further details are below. This requires we remain in Tier 2 (Red) for 14 days. This will allow schools in Stanislaus County to begin reopening as soon as October 28, the form each will take will vary widely, sometimes even within the same district. What we will propose are a hybrid plan of distance learning and in-person learning. We will designate TK-12 students as being assigned to either Group A or Group B. The charter school may seek a different plan to address their independent study and home school models which they operate in.
Group “A” Schedule:
Group “B” Schedule:
Every effort will be made to assure students with siblings are on the same Group Schedule. This is so that we do not have over 50% of the students on campus on any given day. We fully realize that it is not a perfect solution, but it is progress in the effort to bring back all students 100% of the time. Families will also have the choice to keep their students in full-time remote learning programs. The district is committed to bringing back our 7-12 students in the same Group “A” and “B” schedule. The reopening start date is yet to be determined. The district is working on surveying staff on the number of staff who will return and the number that based on allowable circumstances will not be in a position to return to in-person teaching and or support. We also need to determine the number of students we will have participating based on parental choice. The combination of staff and student numbers will determine how many grades we can reopen at one time. We may have the need to stagger the return in order to address class sizes and teacher availability. Please be on the lookout for a survey you will be sent by the end of this week. I am urging that every family and staff please complete the survey by the deadline which will be indicated on the survey. We will need accurate statistics to assure we reopen safely and supportive of all our students, families, and staff. As you all well know every district is looking at this a bit differently and no perfect solution has been discovered. “We’re in reality actually flying the plane and inventing what we’re building as we’re going.” Currently, a large majority of California school districts are doing full-time remote learning. Several large, urban districts have begun to set target dates for in-person instruction, though timelines are uncertain for some of the state’s largest districts. Some small and rural are already doing hybrid learning. Several school systems that have green lights for reopening are holding off on immediate reopening as they wrestle with how to test employees and students for the virus and trace cases. State and federal governments have largely taken a hands-off approach to these pressing issues, adding to local tensions. In Keyes, bringing students back on campuses must be a decision that is made “in the best educational and social wellness for our children and staff. Please keep in mind however that limited staffing and classroom space could cap the extent to which students might be able to return to our campuses. As an educational leader and advocate, I have urged and voiced the need to adhere to science and medical expertise. No perfect decision exists, but what we can do is unite together to create an environment that is safe and yet allow for interactions even if limited for all students. The decision will not be sufficient, nor applauded by all, but it will be made with students and staff wellbeing as the driving force. As superintendent, I will charge forward with leading this district and staff to best serve students. I thank you for your continued patience and hope to provide a more fixed date for reopening within the next 14 days. I appreciate your understanding and support. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ENVIRONMENT WE LIVE IN A GREAT DEAL CAN CHANGE DAILY OR EVEN HOURLY. Sincerely, Dr. Helio Brasil
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