Santa Cruz County schools prepare to reopen in-person classes
Some students could return as soon as next week, pending approval from state to enter the red tier
SANTA CRUZ >> Kindergarten through sixth-grade students in Santa Cruz County could return to in-person instruction as soon as next week, as school superintendents discussed COVID-19 safety protocols, and what classroom settings would look like during the pandemic, in a meeting Thursday night.
Officials revealed planned dates for when various school districts would welcome back children, which ranged from early March to May.
Mountain Elementary School District Superintendent Diane Morgenstern said teachers were looking forward to seeing students on campus, after nearly a year after the pandemic made landfall in Santa Cruz.
“From a safety lens we are primed and ready to receive your students, and on an emotional level we are floating high with excitement. Our hearts are
singing because like you, we’ve waited a long time to get to this next phase,” Morgenstern said.
In general, schools offering kindergarten through sixth-grade instruction will follow some of the same broad in-person classroom formats and guidelines:
• In-person class sizes will be cut in half and schools will implement staggered schedules.
• Students will be required to wear masks and keep 6 feet distance in classes.
• Educational staff will also be required to wear masks.
• Students will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms daily, before entering the classroom.
• If a student presents COVID-19 symptoms, they will be sent home.
• Distance learning will continue to be an option.
In-person instruction return dates for high school and middle school students, beyond sixth-grade, were not discussed. That return will be dependent on the number of COVID-19 cases in Santa Cruz County dropping, triggering entry into the state’s red tier.
Schools will implement a staggered schedule to further decrease the number of students on campus at any given time. That could look two different ways — students going to school every day for four hours in the morning, or every day for four hours in the afternoon to evening hours. It could also mean students going to school only two days a week, every week — for instance one child might go to school Monday and Wednesday, and another may receive in-person instruction Tuesday and Thursday.
When students arrive at school, they will be checked for COVID-19 symptoms, and that they are wearing a mask. If they don’t have a mask, schools will have supplies of single-use masks to hand out. Students will be escorted to the classroom, and those who utilize the school lunch program will grab a sack lunch, outside.
All schools will continue to implement some level of online curriculum, and those that wish to, can continue distance-learning. It wasn’t clear Thursday night, exactly how those virtual classes would change, with in-person instruction coming back online. Cleaning protocols will be enhanced, and schools will be equipped with air filters or purifiers — details on these protocols will vary from school to school.
“We believe we’ve been very detailed oriented and we’re ready to implement those mitigation strategies so that everyone is safe and we can continue to serve students in person,” Pajaro Valley Unified Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez said.
As of Thursday, 4,500 teachers and education staff in Santa Cruz County have been vaccinated. More than 75% of K-12 staff are vaccinated against COVID-19, according to San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District Superintendent Laurie Bruton, who spoke during Thursday’s meeting.
Those attending the meeting questioned officials on if masks would be required for all students — according to Faris Sabbah, the county superintendent of schools, very few children are eligible for medical exemptions, that must be issued by a pediatrician. Even those that qualify for exemptions, Sabbah said, would likely be required to wear a face shield.
When attendees questioned if it was safe for students to return at all, officials also referenced success with small cohorts of children with disabilities who’ve continued to meet in-person, with safety protocols, throughout the pandemic.
Thus far, no instances of COVID-19 transmission have been documented on any Santa Cruz County school campuses, officials said Thursday.