Reopening Homepage

  • In-person students will return in phases, by grade level, starting on March 29, 2021. 

    The Board of Trustees has committed to a full opening in August for the 2021-2022 school year.

    We are following strict state and local health department criteria while we work to ensure the safety of students, staff, and family members. Our chief goal is for students and staff to be in safe, COVID-free environments by establishing consistent on-site safety precautions that are regularly monitored, as well as relying on flexible arrangements like limited and small group in-person support and distance learning to supplement work we would normally do all in-person. We want our students, families, and staff to feel as comfortable as possible returning. 

    Thank you for your feedback on our reopening plans through our surveys, virtual town halls, committee meetings, board meetings, and focus groups. We received thousands of comments and questions which helped to strengthen our plan and provide the flexibility we will need as we continue to navigate the pandemic. Questions are also used to build out the Reopening FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) section of our website.

    Reopening Dates

    Elementary Schools

    Mon., 3/29/2021 -- Grades 1-2 
    Thurs., 4/1/2021 -- Grades PreK, TK, K
    Mon., 4/5/2021 -- Grades 3, 4, 5

    Secondary Schools

    Tues., 3/30/2021 -- Alternative Schools All Grades
    Tues., 3/30/2021 -- Grades 6 and 9
    Tues., 4/6/2021 -- Grades 7, 8, 10, 11, 12

    Reopening Dashboards

    Reopening Plans

    Following our Phase Two Reopening Plan, some students will gradually begin to return to campuses by invitation when Santa Clara County moves to the Orange Tier of California's Blueprint for a Safer Economy. As we transition, families who wish to keep their children in full distance learning this school year have that option.

    Reopening Schedules

    Elementary Distance Learning Schedules       Secondary Distance Learning Schedules

    Elementary Phase Two Schedules       Secondary Phase two Schedules

    Town Hall Recordings

    Planning for the 2020-2021 School Year

    Thank you for the feedback that you shared with us through the surveys we conducted on distance learning and reopening planning from April through October. We received thousands of responses from students, families, and staff. Using your feedback, planning continues for reopening our campuses to students. Our goal is a plan which offers families and staff options and is flexible and adaptive to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also providing high-quality instruction to students, and safe teaching and learning environments for all students and staff.

    • We have convened teachers, school administrators, support staff, and District Office personnel to serve on a District Reopening Planning Committee and subcommittees charged with developing a set of recommendations around multiple scenarios. These committees are engaging smaller workgroups in discussion and planning to ensure that our plans are intentional and thorough. School reopening scenarios range from reopening fully with in-person learning, to providing a hybrid of virtual learning and in-person learning, to continuing with virtual learning for all students. In all of these scenarios, there are multiple variables to consider.
    • Superintendent Advisory Committees on Teaching and Learning, the District Reopening Plan, and the District COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan include almost 70 representatives from students, families, staff, and community. These advisory committees review and analyze survey and town hall feedback to make recommendations to the District Reopening Planning Committee.
    • We are currently assessing the ability and finalizing the plan to transition to Phase Two of our reopening plan which brings students back to campuses.
    • We are also working closely with the superintendents of the other school districts within Santa Clara County to align and coordinate our planning.

    The following information is intended to provide you with more details and support during our extended closure.

    Our Planning Priorities, Based on New Guidance and Recommendations

    Although there are still many unknowns of what school could look like next year, including to what extent in-person instruction will be allowed in the fall, we want to share with you what we do know from the new preliminary guidance, which we are using to guide our planning:

    Based on your feedback from our surveys, recommendations from the Reopening Planning Committee and subcommittees, and the latest guidance from the CDE and SCCOE, our planning priorities include:

    • Maximize safety and minimize risk for students and staff
    • Limit the number of students on campus to meet public health department guidelines
    • Prioritize in-person instruction to the extent allowable 
    • Provide an option for families who chose to enroll in independent study
    • Evaluate the feasibility of a phase-in model for returning to school including:
      • Prioritize providing services to our most vulnerable students
      • Support students who are transitioning from one school to another
    • Establish health screening protocols for staff and students
    • Ensure we have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, and access to handwashing stations
    • Establish protocols to sanitize frequently used facilities and surfaces
    • Allow a limited number of athletes on campus for training during the summer and in the fall
    • Enhance distance instruction to address issues including lesson quality, resources, grading, and support for struggling learners
    • Ensure that each student is engaged in their learning and that appropriate resources are offered to promote academic success
    • Provide staff professional development that address the unique challenges of virtual learning, and provide collaboration time for teachers to work in teams by department or grade level, and engage in course-alike curriculum development
    • Teach online skills to students and families, including how to use devices and access materials, digital citizenship, and digital literacy
    • Streamline technology platforms for communication, learning management system, and gradebook and clearly communicate the purpose of and how to access each platform at the beginning of the school year
    • Attend to the mental health and wellness needs of our students, staff, and school community
    • Continue to provide meal services to students throughout the summer and into the fall

Coordination with State and Local Health and Education Officials

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