SAN DIEGO — San Diego Unified Officials met virtually Tuesday to discuss what next school year will look like. The meeting was held after an announcement Monday that public, charter and private schools in San Diego County may now hold in-person classes as reopenings continue throughout the region.
The meeting began with a moment of silence for George Floyd lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds, followed by comments written in by staff and parents.
The school year is scheduled to begin on August 31st.
"In the 160 years of this district, in no other time have we faced this type of crisis," said SDUSD Board President John Lee Evans.
Updated county health orders took effect Tuesday, allowing all schools -- with the exception of colleges and universities -- to hold on-campus classes as long as the schools comply with measures outlined in the State COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Schools and School-Based Programs issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and implements measures in Stronger Together: A Guidebook for the Safe Reopening "where feasible." The California Department of Education (CDE) released the 55-page guide last week.
On the agenda Tuesday: how to implement specific guidelines, which all schools countywide are required to follow in order to reopen.
"We have recently received guidelines from the state and public health officials, but we have no information regarding how they plan to assist with testing, tracing, and personal protective equipment," Evans said.
Requirements include:
-face masks for staff and students
-desks positioned six feet apart
-staggered pickup and drop off times
-as well as a combination of online and on-campus learning
Superintendent Cindy Marten via Zoom said:
“The online option is going to be vastly improved from what we experienced in the spring.”
Marten said families’ preferences will be taken into consideration, like those who need their child in the classroom five days a week due to daycare and work constraints.
Surveys will go out to parents later this week.
“We know our parents need to get back to work and need that on-campus options," she said.
One big area of concern is how to pay for the upcoming changes. But, on Monday, came a glimmer of hope.
State lawmakers approved a spending plan that rejects Governor Gavin Newsom's proposed cuts to education.
While the Governor still has to sign off on it, Marten is hopeful.
"That was a big step in moving in the right direction with the funding," she said.
Parents and staff were invited to write in questions or comments for Tuesday's workshop.
Many expressed concerns, saying they're worried about their kids and what next school year will bring.
“I have noticed the detrimental effects of the school closures. As a parent, I saw complete deterioration and shutdown in childrens’ mental health and well-being," one wrote.
News 8 spoke with Superintendent Cindy Marten last week about the new school measures for reopening.
Colleges and Universities shall not hold classes or other school activities where students gather on the school campus, except for research-related activities and where necessary to train students who will serve as essential workers.
Each school must complete and post a document detailing the actions the school is taking to comply with the industry guidance issued by the state.
District schools were physically closed on March 13, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that time, students and teachers have logged 69 million Zoom meeting minutes. More than 50,000 Chromebook computers have been distributed to students and school workers have provided more than two million meals to local families