July 20, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As you may have heard, Gov. Gavin Newsom shared that the California Public Health Department issued an order on Friday, July 17, 2020 about reopening and closing schools. In the order, he is requiring all districts that are located in counties on the state’s public watch list to start the school year with distance learning until certain conditions are met. San Diego County is currently on the State's public watch list.
In addition, the new order clarifies some of the state-level expectations around face coverings and physical distancing, and when to reopen and close schools.
We are carefully reviewing the new order to determine what the guidance means for our schools. We recognize that continuing distance learning poses challenges and hardship for many families so we will continue to work diligently to develop plans that have the academic, social, and emotional well-being of all students and families at the center.
Currently we are in the process of:
- Planning for a full-distance learning option for parents who already know they do not want their children to return to school until there is a widely available vaccine or cure for COVID19;
- Developing health and safety protocols for students and staff for our eventual return to school;
- Developing in-district childcare options for families who need to physically report to work; and
- Planning for a robust distance learning program for ALL students that includes devices and internet access, daily live instruction, assessments and monitoring of student progress, and specialized interventions for our most vulnerable students.
We will continue communicating with you in the coming days and throughout the summer as additional information and details are available. Our Board of Education will take action this Tuesday regarding the return to school in distance learning mode and once this happens we can commit to our final reopening plans. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we adjust to these ever-changing conditions to keep students and employees safe and emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever.
Sincerely,
Erica
Erica Balakian
Superintendent