Clovis schools won’t seek waiver to reopen amid COVID-19. What are their fall online plans?
The Clovis Unified School District won’t request a state waiver to reopen in the fall as coronavirus cases surge in Fresno County, school officials confirmed.
The option to reopen despite being on the state coronavirus watchlist is on the table for elementary schools in the state if they seek a waiver, according to a statement from the Santa Clara Office of Education.
But Clovis Unified officials, during a parent town hall meeting on Wednesday night, said they would not be pursuing that route.
“The reality of that waiver is it actually has to be approved by local health officers ... and also it’s reviewed by the California Department of Public Health,” said Barry Jager, the associate superintendent of human resources and employee relations.
“It’s not going to be a district like ours, a large school district, getting a waiver for our elementary schools. This is going to be one-off cases, maybe some small elementary schools that are very isolated, that haven’t had cases; that are very low on their case count, that can be able to reopen. For us, we have, right now, no intention of submitting a waiver, and I believe even if we did try to submit a waiver, it would not get approved.”
Instead, the district is pressing on with a plan to engage students in distance learning differently than in the spring, according to Superintendent Eimear O’Farrell. Students will have a schedule where they will tune into Zoom classes, or use Google Classroom or other programs to engage with a teacher and one another.
Grades 1 through 6, for example, will have an hour of learning beginning at 9:30 a.m., then a break, followed by an hour and a half of learning, then a 45-minute lunch followed by another 90-minute block that will end at 2:30 p.m.
Teachers will count attendance by submitted assignments or by interacting with the student throughout the block time, officials said.
Parents should receive more information on their students’ schedules as Aug. 17 draws nearer.
Families of seventh- through 12th-graders who would like a more flexible schedule can enroll their child in a program called Edgenuity, where it will be mostly self-led. Parents can switch options if needed after the school year starts.
Athletics have been pushed back to December, and plays and concerts could begin in January, officials said. As soon as administrators know whether health officials approve clubs and after school activities, it will be announced.
Another virtual town hall that will specifically address special education can be viewed on the district’s YouTube channel on July 30 at 5 p.m.
The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab on our website.
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 7:41 AM.