Hart district shares reopening safety plan

The governing board discussed specifics of students’ return to in-person learning on March 29 and April 1

In what was their last currently scheduled meeting before students are expected to return to in-person learning March 29 and April 1, the William S. Hart Union High School District governing board discussed how the return of grades seven to 12 will stay on track.

During the virtual board meeting Wednesday, Superintendent

Mike Kuhlman shared with board members the steps the district has taken to get the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s tentative approval to allow all grades to start returning to campuses March 29.

Kuhlman said the district would be implementing a number of new safety and wellness-related changes to campuses, and each site would be providing a special welcomeback ceremony for students. The transition to blended learning is scheduled to take place March 29 and April 1, with students split between the two groups.

Kuhlman emphasized that many of the district’s teachers will be fully vaccinated by the time classrooms are full again, and student resource officers also will be back on campus.

District officials are asking families not to make any unnecessary interstate travel during the upcoming spring break.

“Things will not be perfect; we are going to make mistakes; it’s going to be rocky at times,” said Kuhlman during his presentation. “And you know what? That’s OK. I want to encourage both staff and families

to take the pressure off — we have absolute confidence in our teachers and our students.

“We’re going to make this a success and we’ll grow and learn from the mistakes that come along the way,” he added.

Kathy Hunter, assistant superintendent of educational services, said in terms of wellness, online services have been made available to staff and families, and information about wellness centers and other on-campus services can be accessed at the district’s website.

Board member Linda Storli, a former Canyon High School history teacher, expressed her support for the teachers and staff returning to work, saying the district should try to ensure there are adequate people on hand at school sites to ensure safety protocols.

Storli then suggested inviting some retired, former educators to return to campuses to monitor oncampus adherence to public health rules.

Other suggestions and questions posed by board members involved

graduation and open house, but Kuhlman, while acknowledging staff was open to suggestions on how to best support staff and families, said they would need to assess what resources are available to them as the weeks go on and how they can find creative solutions given their present restraints.

“We’re already looking to do that right now, and one of it may be ... hiring some additional (staff),” he said. “But there may be some other things I can share with you.”

“

We’re going to make this a success.”

Mike Kuhlman, William S. Hart Union High School District superintendent

Gov. Gavin Newsom is fighting for his political life. It’s clear that he’s scared, and it brings a sense of satisfaction to see him this way. It’s also clear that he’s angry. Now why would someone who believes he’s in the right feel scared and angry?

His anti-recall campaign is basically a series of lies. Topping his list of lies is a statement he made regarding the state’s response to COVID-19: “We made sure that science — not politics — drove our decisions.”

Well that’s just plain nuts on the face of it. California has been literally making it up as it goes along with restrictions that don’t even make sense. It even rejected Centers for Disease Control guidelines, and Newsom has yet to disclose what his “science” is.

Next on his list of lies is who he is blaming for the recall effort: “Anti-vaxxers, QAnon conspiracy theorists and anti-immigrant Trump supporters... and violent white supremacists like the Proud Boys, who attacked our nation’s Capitol on Jan. 6.”

Rubbish. The effort to recall Newsom spans quite a variety of voters, including Democrats. I hope he’s tossed. Maybe he can go back to running a winery and stay the hell out of our lives.

Arthur Saginian Santa Clarita