Santa Clara lays blueprint for schools
Health officials in Santa Clara County gave schools a road map for reopening for inperson instruction, but added a big asterisk that they should be ready to resume instruction remotely if coronavirus conditions demand shutdowns.
The document released Tuesday afternoon offers district officials flexibility in adopting plans for reopening schools, allowing for variances depending on the age of students. But it also outlines a list of requirements schools must follow if they decide to bring students back.
In elementary schools, adults must wear masks, but students will not be required to do so. Health officials encouraged social distancing as much as possible while acknowledging younger students will struggle with that. They must, however, stay in stable class groups, not mixing with others on school grounds, to mitigate pos
sible transmission of the virus.
In middle and high schools, students must wear masks at all times inside, except when eating or drinking. Social distancing in classes will be required.
All schools must provide adequate supplies of hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, soap and notouch trash cans.
The county guidelines apply to schools opting to reopen in the fall for any inperson instruction, even if limited to some students. Each district will determine when and how to reopen.
The document provides specifics on what is required if schools do open to students.
“We want all students and teachers to return to school as soon as possible under the safest possible conditions,” said Dr. Sara Cody, public health director for the county.
The county has decided to prohibit any extracurricular activities that don’t allow for physical distancing and masks, specifically banning
“We want more than anything else to open back up.”
Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County Board of Education president
“aerosol generating activities,” including choir, band and vocal cheerleading activities.
Field trips and assemblies are allowed, as long as they adhere to any health requirements in the community or in schools.
Yet even with specifics in hand on how to reopen, Santa Clara County Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan advised districts to have both a plan for inperson instruction as well as a backup plan for full distance learning “should our conditions worsen.”
The guidelines, she said, are not a guarantee that schools will be able to open in person.
Each county across California is expected to release its own set of guidelines for reopening schools.
While education and health officials have urged districts to move to inperson instruction as much and as quickly as possible, not all districts will start the school year bringing kids back.
The East Side High School District in San Jose plans to spend the fall semester with most students still at home.
A survey of students, teachers and staff found that more than half of the adults wanted minimal to no oncampus instruction, while 53% of students preferred to be at school in the fall.
The district is moving toward adopting distance learning for the fall semester, with high needs students, including those in special education programs, in classrooms for facetoface instruction.
While California counties had been moving toward reopening, many areas of the state have hit the pause button as COVID19 cases spiked in recent days.
Getting kids back in school will require community effort, said Santa Clara County Board of Education President Cindy Chavez. That means masks, social distancing, sheltering in place, hand washing and more.
“I know people are tired. I know parents want their children to be back at school,” she said. “We want more than anything else to open back up.”