Name: East Contra Costa districts mull reopening schools on usual July dates
Brand: eastbaytimes.com
SKU: eastbaytimes-com-16
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

East Contra Costa districts mull reopening schools on usual July dates

preview

By | | Bay Area News GroupIn eastern Contra Costa County, where school traditionally begins in July, officials in five districts are mulling whether to start later this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and what the classes will look like.The five districts with modified traditional school calendars run campuses schools in Brentwood, Oakley, Byron, Knightsen and Discovery Bay, are jointly discussing potential opening dates and formats that will hinge on public health protocols.The schools usually open in late July and take a two-week break in October. The calendar was modified about 25 years ago to prevent summer learning loss and provide breaks throughout the year to help students maintain a continuous pattern of learning, according to Brentwood Union School District Superintendent Dana Eaton.The five districts had been considering a later start date this year because of all the uncertainty over the disease’s spread, but after Gov. Gavin Newsom recently suggested opening schools across the state in July to make up for gaps in distance learning, they decided to think again, Liberty Union School District Superintendent Eric Volta said.Eaton said Brentwood Union now anticipates keeping its current late July opening but hopes to decide by mid-June, realizing it&nbsp; “will have to be flexible.”“We are hopeful that the state will have clear guidelines by then so that we can adequately prepare,” Eaton said.State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond in a Facebook Live session last week said each of the state’s nearly 1,000 school districts will have to decide the best time to reopen the classrooms, with state guidance.“For our district, there are still many more questions than answers,” Eaton noted. “… How and when we open will be dictated by the guidance provided by the state and county health department. When clear and consistent guidance is provided, we will work to make sure to open in a way that meets that criteria.”Byron Union School District Superintendent Reyes Gauna said a team of staff and volunteers is working on the reopening. One plan calls for staggered scheduling with only half the class attending each day and Fridays reserved for distance learning. Nothing is set in stone yet, he said.“We are also working closely with the County Office of Education and health department to make sure we comply with all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of students and staff,” he said.“My goal is to collaborate with Oakley, Brentwood, Knightsen, and Liberty before a final decision is made, but my staff is pushing for the opening of school to be July 29,” Gauna added.Volta, whose district covers high schools in Oakley and Brentwood, added that administrators will need to figure out whether teachers and students should wear personal protective wear, how many students should be allowed in classrooms and other safety issues.Among the questions they’re asking is “will we be able to procure that equipment?” and “what will be the recommended protocol if we identify a case of COVID-19 on our sites?” he said.There’s also the budget to consider, Volta added, noting the state has warned there could be 2% to 10% reductions in per-pupil funding.Then there’s the emotional aspect, he noted.&nbsp;“Some of our community of faculty, staff, students and families are chomping at the bit to return. Others may not be so eager.”“In short, we are talking about a lot of ‘what-ifs,’ ” Volta said, adding once they get the answers they need, they will be able to firm up reopening plans.We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.Get Morning Report and other email newslettersFollow UsMost PopularClose

By | | Bay Area News GroupIn eastern Contra Costa County, where school traditionally begins in July, officials in five districts are mulling whether to start later this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and what the classes will look like.The five districts with modified traditional school calendars run campuses schools in Brentwood, Oakley, Byron, Knightsen and Discovery Bay, are jointly discussing potential opening dates and formats that will hinge on public health protocols.The schools usually open in late July and take a two-week break in October. The calendar was modified about...

public

Judith Prieve

Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. See the latest news from throughout the East Bay, including Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

East Contra Costa districts mull reopening schools on usual July dates

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS