Will private schools get pass on distance learning?

“We’re hanging in there, but our hope is to be able to be in class at whatever level is allowed. We’re not just here to pump minds full of information. We’re trying to develop a person, and having people interact with one another, in person, is a better way to do that.” TIM CLEMENTS, PRINCIPAL AT JIM ELLIOT CHRISTIAN HIGH

Last Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that all schools in California counties that are on the state’s COVID-19 watch list would be required to close and implement distance learning in the fall.

Schools would only be allowed to reopen if their county was able to remain off the watch list for 14 consecutive days, he said.

Newsom’s declaration not only affects public school districts, but private schools as well.

Tim Clements, principal at Jim Elliot Christian High School, said he and his staff were hopeful the campus would be allowed to open by the first day of school, set for Aug. 5.

“We’ve been doing well (during the pandemic),” he said. “We’re hanging in there, but our hope is to be able to be in class at whatever level is allowed. We’re not just here to pump minds full of information. We’re trying to develop a person, and having people interact with one another, in person, is a better way to do that.”

Distance learning was employed at the school last semester when the pandemic began, and Clements said everything worked well.

The school continued to operate at its normal schedule, he said, noting students attended particular classes on the appropriate days through the Zoom social media platform, and continued to learn curriculum.

He said the close relationships teachers had developed with Jim Elliot students was an advantage that encouraged students to log on and continue their education.

Last week, the San Joaquin County Office of Education announced it was recommending school districts to implement distance learning for the fall, prompting some families to threaten to transfer to private schools.

Clements said Jim Elliot has had a few families from Lodi Unified School District express interest in having their high school student attend in the fall.

With a total student body of just 70, Clements said the school would be able to accommodate new students if classes on campuses are allowed.

“We certainly have a number where we would have to stop accepting new students, but we do have a few spots open,” he said. “Right now, we’re looking at outdoor areas on campus to possibly have classes there. It’s a lot easier to take a class of 20 outdoors than it is to take 36.”

However, Clements said the school’s board of directors will decide how to move forward following the governor’s announcement at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Monday.

If students were to return to campus by Aug. 5, the county would have to be removed from the state’s COVID-19 watch list by Wednesday and remain off of it for 14 consecutive days.

One of the reasons the county made the watch list was because it

“We are hoping that the governor and the state can give clearer guidance in the coming days as it relates to our K-12 schools and preschools. Until then, we will continue to work on plans that address various scenarios of oncampus instruction and distance learning.” REVEREND MYRON J. COTTA, BISHOP OF STOCKTON

exceeded the maximum number of hospitalized patients allowed to be treated over a 14-day period.

The maximum number of patients is 190, and right now the county is at 1,641 over the past two weeks.

Dale Muncsh, principal at St. Peter Lutheran School, said staff and about 90% of parents at the school want in-person learning for their students and are ready to get back in the classroom.

“We are still trying to drive and find a way to open in person,” he said. “We’ve reached out to the state and the county about a waiver, and we’re working with them to see if we can in fact have class by the time school starts.”

According to Newsom’s revised plan released Friday, local health officers may grant a waiver to allow elementary schools to reopen with in-person instruction if it is requested by the district superintendent in consultation with labor, parents and community-based organizations.

However, local health officers must consider local data and consult with the California Department of Public Health when considering a waiver request.

Munsch said Lodi’s 95242 ZIP code, where the school is located, has a lower infection rate than other ZIP codes in the county, according to Public Health. He said that makes a good case for his school to allow students back on campus.

However, the school is prepared to implement distance learning if required. St. Peter was one of the first schools in Lodi to implement distance learning when the pandemic began and the state initially shut down, and Munsch said it worked well.

Like Jim Elliot, Munsch said St. Peter has had a number of families from Lodi Unified express interest in attending in the fall because they oppose distance learning as well.

With a student body of 170 and class sizes of no more than 24, Munsch said the school could accept 12 to 15 new students, but only in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

Chelsea Vongehr, spokeswoman for Lodi Unified, said it was unknown Monday how many families decided to remove their children from the district to attend private schools.

As of May 29, district enrollment was 28,063. Enrollment numbers for the fall won’t be known until the second or third week of the new academic year, she said.

However, families who wish to remove students from the district must file an inter-district transfer application, which is then reviewed by the superintendent, she said.

Dr. Maggie Park, San Joaquin County Public Health Officer, said private schools are awaiting further clarification from the state about reopening.

Many of those are Catholic schools in the county, which are overseen by the Diocese of

Stockton. In a media release Friday afternoon, Bishop Myron J. Cotta said Newsom’s directives were very specific for public schools, but it was unclear if they extend to private schools.

“We are hoping that the governor and the state can give clearer guidance in the coming days as it relates to our K-12 schools and preschools,” he said. “Until then, we will continue to work on plans that address various scenarios of on-campus instruction and distance learning.”

Park said it has not been made clear if there will be any penalties for schools that do not comply with Friday’s order. However, there may be additional language from the state forthcoming, she said.