School reopening process pauses due to surge in COVID-19 cases
Schools in the reopening process have been asked to pause due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the YubaSutter area, according to a letter from Bi-county Health Officer Dr. Phuong Luu, Yuba County Superintendent of Schools Francisco Reveles and Sutter County Superintendent of Schools Tom Reusser to Sutter and Yuba County school leaders.
“The rate of increase in cases is now so alarming, including many cases noted in schools, that I have asked all Sutter County and Yuba County schools to pause their elementary in-person schooling wherever they are currently,” Luu said.
“For grades 7th-12th, they should revert back to distance learning. There are small groups of students such as special education students who can remain for in-person schooling if they qualify under the cohort guidance.”
According to the letter,
Yuba and Sutter Public
Health departments have been notified of COVID-19 cases in school teachers, staff and students – leading to the quarantine of many staff and students and the cancellation of some in-person classes.
Based on information gathered from contact investigations, the latest surge is likely due to social gatherings for holidays – the most recent being Halloween.
Doreen Osumi, superintendent of Yuba City Unified School District, said a couple of weeks ago they started in-person instruction for preschool through first grades, last week second and third graders returned to the classroom and this week fourth and fifth graders began inperson learning.
In a letter to the YCUSD community, Osumi said students in preschool through fifth grade will be able to continue in-person instruction but students in grades sixth through 12th will remain on distance learning.
“We understand the increased concern from our families and staff regarding the positive COVID-19 cases and possible exposure while at school,” Osumi said in the letter. “I want to assure you that the district and schools are
following state and local safety protocols which include social distancing, facial coverings, hand washing/hand sanitizer, and sanitization of school sites.”
Last week, Marysville Joint Unified School District began inperson instruction for preschool through first graders, said Gary Cena, superintendent.
They had planned to bring back second graders this week but, due to the direction from public health, they are pausing the phasing-in of in-person instruction.
Preschool through first graders will remain in-person at this time, according to an announcement sent to MJUSD stakeholders.
Cena said they will also continue targeted instruction for certain student populations – such as special education
students – at all grade levels.
“There was an explosion of positive energy and joy and happiness at all campuses,” Cena said on the first couple of days of in-person learning. “… That goes to that interaction, that direct connection between teachers and students.”
Osumi said the first couple of weeks of in-person instruction were going well and that people have been doing a nice job of following safety protocols.
“The families and students are happy to be in class and the teachers are happy to see their students in class,” Osumi said. “… The biggest thing is it’s going to take the entire community to follow the safety protocols in order to keep our schools open.”
Cena said he encourages people to maintain social distancing, wear facial coverings and make healthy choices.
“California Department of Public Health and Bi-county
Health Office Dr. Luu have been our compass as we navigate our way on this journey and so we trust their guidance and that’s how we’re best able to slow the spread of COVID-19, ensure the health and safety of students and staff while maintaining relationships and facilitating learning,” Cena said.
According to the letter from Luu, Reusser and Reveles, certain small groups of students, such as special education students who qualify under cohort guidance, can continue with in-person instruction for all grades.
The pause and reversion back to distance learning is requested to be accomplished no later than Monday.
“We would like to remind each and every Yuba-sutter resident that your individual actions have strong implications for the community, for our schools,” it was stated in the letter. “Please act now, commit now to not gather
indoors with those outside of your household, wear that mask, maintain that social distance, so that we can again subdue this deadly virus.”
Local high schools
Sutter Union High School Vice Principal Rick Giovannoni said the superintendent last week had decided to go to distance learning this week, prior to the announcement, because it’s right before Thanksgiving break and they had noticed the increase in COVID-19 cases.
Giovannoni said the hope is to bring students back after Thanksgiving break to “maybe give kids the opportunity to come back and finish the semester strong.”
He said the high school has been implementing a number of measures to keep staff and students safe – such as hiring additional cleaning staff, installing heat-sensing devices to
take temperatures and more.
“I think it’s most difficult on the kids. Being on campus the last couple of weeks, it’s obvious that they want to be here,” Giovannoni said. “They’ve been around others while maintaining protocols (such as wearing masks and social distancing). You just saw the excitement in them … We’ve taken a lot of measures to try to keep our students and staff as healthy and safe as possible.”
During a board meeting on Tuesday, Wheatland Union High School District Superintendent Nicole Newman recommended that they revert back to distance learning effective Nov. 30
(after Thanksgiving break) and the board voted to follow the recommendation, according to a Facebook post from the district.
The plan is to monitor the case count over the next few weeks and hopefully return to the hybrid instruction model on Jan. 5, 2021.