A Message from the Superintendent

At last night’s virtual community meeting, I provided an update to about 875 attendees (English and Spanish) on our reopening plan. A video of the presentation is on our Youtube channel and is available on our COVID-19 resources web page. (English video. Spanish video.)
Countdown to Red Tier and Phase 2
I shared the late-breaking news that our county’s Adjusted Case Rate dipped below 7% that same day. If it remains under 7% for five consecutive days, Santa Clara County will officially be able to move to the Red Tier, and the countdown for launching Phase 2 of our reopening plan will begin.
Our agreement with employees and promise to families is to provide at least 2 weeks advance notice before having the students return to school, and we would start on a Monday. Here is the current timeline we are working with:
- Tue., Feb. 23: Day 1 of county below 7% adjusted case rate.
- Tue., March 2: Anticipate County announcement about moving to Red Tier on March 3*
- Wed., March 3: If we are in the Red Tier, the District will send an announcement to families that the Phase-in Model will return to school.*
- Mon. March 22: Earliest date that our students will start in-person instruction.*
* This date may change if conditions in our county change.
Option for Not Yet Ready for Phase 2
While it was not part of our original reopening plan, we recognize that some families who chose the Phase-in (a.k.a. Hybrid) Model are not yet ready to have their student return for in-person instruction. We will have a provision for these students.
On Thursday, 2/25, schools are sending notices to the Phase-in families by which parents can indicate if they are not ready for in-person learning for their students. That information will help us determine how to best provide support to those students in ways that work within our staffing ratios and comply with SB98’s requirements.
NOTE: Families who are ready to return do not need to complete the information form.
Where to find more information
Details about your school’s reopening plan and bell schedule are available on the school’s website. Those plans, news updates, board presentations and answers to frequently asked questions are available on our COVID-19 resources web page.
We know this continued planning and adaptation has been challenging as conditions have changed. As case rates are improving, we are eager to safely begin bringing students back for some in-person instruction.