San Luis Coastal school district settles on plan for fall learning
One day before the governor ordered most of California’s schools start the fall online, the San Luis Coastal Unified School District opted for a distance learning education model through the winter, requiring online-only classes until January, the district’s board decided on Thursday.
The unanimous decision came amid a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in San Luis Obispo County and following a sixth local coronavirus-related death.
The district — which includes about 7,500 students in schools in San Luis Obispo, Los Osos and Morro Bay — had planned to allow students to attend classes in person, at least part of the time, if a countywide threshold of coronavirus cases was not exceeded.
But with cases surging and the county placed on a California watch list, San Luis Coastal board members felt the safest option would be to keep students and teachers home during the start of the school year.
“This is a complex and unsatisfying recommendation,” district Superintendent Eric Prater said. “But I believe it’s the correct recommendation given the information we possess.”
Prater said the district will be reaching out to various communities to seek guidance on potential child care arrangements for families who may need it, with more information to come.
Concerns about online classes
San Luis Coastal’s decision closely reflects that of Lucia Mar Unified School District, the largest school district in the county, which chose to go fully online after drawing up detailed plans to provide in-person classes.
More than 100 residents submitted public comments during Thursday’s meeting that represented a wide variety of viewpoints. But the overwhelming majority of commenters asked board members to close schools and hold classes fully online.
Many expressed concerns over the detrimental social and emotional impacts of online classes and the difficulty they pose for some students, such as those with special needs, to properly learn without interaction with teachers.
Several teachers also sent in public comments, nearly all asking for online classes.
“Being in front of students is a true joy for most teachers, even during a flu season,” Mark Townsend, a teacher at Laguna Middle School in San Luis Obispo, wrote. “But this is not a flu, nor a season. Teachers and school staff are not just school supplies to be discounted. We are your employees and deserve to stay safe.”
Emily Cappellano, the district’s union representative, said the majority of the union’s members supported fully online learning and asked the board to put the health and safety of the teachers and students first.
Learning options for San Luis Coastal students
Originally, San Luis Coastal planned for a few models to allow for some in-person classes. They’ll table those plans for reassessment before spring classes, however.
“This ground is shifting constantly beneath us,” board president Ellen Sheffer said. “Things have continued to changed so rapidly and I know that flexibility can be challenging especially when trying to make plans with such a massive organization as the school district ... but this is just where we are.”
For district elementary students, the plan included a learning model where students would come to school for a full-day of in-person classes while wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. A hybrid model of remote learning coupled with in-person classes was planned for those at the junior high and high school levels.
School is recommended to start on Aug. 24, one week later than the original start date, to give staff, parents and students more time to prepare.
Parents also have the option to commit to a full year of a virtual learning, or opt for the school’s educational planning that offers flexibility come spring about returning to class, which will be based on countywide COVID-19 metrics for health and safety.
The district initially planned for a scenario with metrics that projected full distance learning through winter break if San Luis Obispo County COVID-19 infection rates exceeded 100 positive cases per 100,000 residents on Aug. 3.
As of Thursday, San Luis Obispo County had reported 167 cases per 100,000 residents. The county has documented 1,158 cases since the virus arrived, with 727 people recovered, with six deaths.
But Prater moved up that threshold to Thursday, meaning it would immediately go into effect, stating it would give the district and teachers more time to prepare its online learning strategies.
The board voted that if the state provides new coronavirus case metrics, the district would have the discretion to adjust its planning accordingly.
District draft plan tabled due to health conditions
San Luis Coastal’s comprehensive draft plan, which was tabled until health conditions are safer, lays out a full day of classes at elementary schools where students will be required to wear masks and be spaced six feet apart as much as possible.
At the junior high and high school level, due to larger student numbers, a hybrid model includes a half schedule of remote learning and the other half would be on campus with the same requirements for face coverings and social distance.
“Recent health and safety guidelines indicate a difference between students under 13 years old and their peers,” the district stated in its staff report. “Scientists have indicated that younger students do not contract or spread COVID-19 in the same manner as their older peers. As a result, safety guidelines suggest distinguishing approaches between elementary and secondary schools.”
But the level of coronavirus cases could mean continued reassessments.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 5:56 PM.
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