The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Clark County School District’s plan to open schools next month following coronavirus closures — well, with one caveat.
The recommendation, which will be submitted to the Nevada Department of Education for approval with anticipation of returning to partial in-person learning Aug. 24, can still be altered.
Trustee Vice President Linda Cavazos made a motion to accept the plan Thursday “on a provisional basis only with the stipulation that it’s only for the express purpose of submitting a plan in a timely manner and is in no way a final approval of a specific plan and provides flexibility for modification.”
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There was much reluctance to approve during the meeting that spanned nearly eight hours and featured numerous suggestions from parents, educators and trustees.
Trustee Linda Young and Trustee Clerk Danielle Ford wanted more time before the vote, considering the public didn’t get enough of an opportunity to give input on revisions. Trustee Chris Garvey said she wanted to move through with the plan “so we don’t let our children fall through the tracks while we sit in fear and do nothing.”
The plan, which has been widely debated since being released more than two weeks ago, calls for in-person learning two days a week and online learning for three. There is also the option for online-only instruction. Yearlong courses for middle school and high school will be condensed into one semester and students will take four courses per semester.
The plan also requires students to wear face masks, calls for enhanced cleaning of campuses, and limits classroom capacity to 18 students.
Ford made a motion that called for a 30-day soft opening where only children with special needs, and those in pre-K and kindergarten would initially return to in-person learning. The rest of the student population would continue distance learning. But the motion failed, 5-2.
With schools only providing in-person learning two days a week under the reopening plan, there have been many concerns raised about families with working parents providing child care for younger children. Kimberly Bishop, the mother of five CCSD students, said families returning to work are going to put their children in daycare on the days they aren’t in school anyway “thus allowing this dreadful virus to spread even more rapidly.”
Many pushed for going a return to full-time learning in person. Alvaro Moreno, who has taught kindergarten for 27 years, said virtual learning might work for middle and high school students, but it’s impossible for the young children he teaches. Moreno suggested a return to in-person learning at least four days per week.
“Even though I know I’ll have to make changes in the way I have taught in the past, having the children in school is the best place for them to me,” he said.
Trustee Irene Cepeda said she didn’t support only two days of instruction for students with special needs because they need the hands-on approach from a teacher in person. And, she said, special-needs classes are typically smaller in size to provide a socially distance environment.
“They’re our most vulnerable population,” she said.
Kate Larsen, whose special-needs child is entering kindergarten, said she’s spent the past weeks researching how CCSD would accommodate students like hers as part of reopening plans. Larsen cited the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that says students with a disability have a right to an education tailored to their needs.
Schools throughout Clark County finished the past school year exclusively online after pandemic closures in mid-March. It was a lost three months for some because there was no requirement for students to participate as many lacked a computer and reliable internet. Some students may still not have access to devices for distance learning.
Although federal money will cover the cost of technology for families with limited resources, acquiring 87,000 Chromebooks in about a month could be challenging because of a supply-chain shortage, officials said.
Another concern that was raised is potential psychological stress on students due to lack of social interaction, which Garvey said is “adding up to more risks than the virus poses.”
The virus is the one variable the plan can’t account for. COVID-19 cases have gradually increased over the past three weeks in Nevada, which ultimately could force Gov. Steve Sisolak to again shutter schools to in-person learning. He rolled back part of the state’s reopening plan on Thursday by closing bars in the Las Vegas and Reno areas that didn’t sell food. Gyms and pools could be next to close.
“When we began reopening, I committed that we would remain flexible and let data and recommendations of public health and emergency management professionals dictate the best course of action for protecting Nevadans,” Sisolak said.