SLV plans to resume school Thursday
BEN LOMOND >> San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District will resume schooling in the wake of evacuations in the San Lorenzo Valley over concerns of debris flow risk as rain continues to drench the area.
District Superintendent Laurie Bruton announced in a letter to SLVUSD families that online school will resume Thursday. Instruction was canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday, as families evacuated their homes.
The San Lorenzo Valley has been the sight of multiple disasters within the last few months. The CZU Lightning Complex fire scarred the valley, and small fires last week threatened more damage. Now, an atmospheric river pours over the county, creating the risk of a debris flow events in a community that has seen its fair share of disaster in recent memory.
“Fire, wind, power outages, debris flow events result in feelings of uncertainty for all involved,” Bruton said in an email to the Sentinel. “We are doing the best we can to offer some consistency in a time when weather conditions have greatly impacted families in the area.”
San Lorenzo Valley High, Middle and Elementary schools in addition to Quail Hollow Montessori all have power and will be used by faculty to conduct online classes, according to Bruton. Boulder Creek
Elementary is within the evacuation zone, so teachers have been giving the option to teach from home or teach from the three San Lorenzo Valley schools for the remainder of the evacuation.
Bruton and the school district understand that attending school will not be possible for all students within the district. More than 4,800 people and 2,800 homes were given the evacuation order between Monday and Tuesday, according to Santa Cruz County Spokesman Jason Hoppin. No evacuation zones have been cleared for families to return to their homes, yet.
While under evacuation order, many families may have trouble securing a good internet connection, while others may not have power or internet at all. Bruton urges students that will be unable to attend class on Thursday inform their teachers. In the event of a power outage on Thursday, teachers were instructed to post assignments online for students to complete once they have access to power and internet.
SLVUSD will not have school on Friday. The day is allocated as a staff development day for teachers.
“Please accept our apologies for the changing circumstances,” Bruton’s letter reads. “We hope to maintain our online sessions as consistently as possible through the winter months. We are attempting to respond appropriately to each changing condition that presents itself.”