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The San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board of Education this week announced its intention to return schools to in-person instruction full time for the fall 2021 semester, issuing staff directions to plan for students to be back at their campuses for the 2021-22 school year.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, school campuses in the SRVUSD were closed to in-person instruction in March 2020 until elementary schools began reopening last month.
As the district continues to await clearance from county and state officials to reopen secondary schools this school year, the SRVUSD board directed staff on Wednesday to start making preparations for all students to return for in-person instruction for the next school year — while still providing families the opportunity to continue with remote learning if desired.
“We are pleased with the early success of hybrid instruction in our schools and look forward to welcoming students and staff back to our campuses full time for the 2021-22 school year while still offering a remote option for those families who need it,” SRVUSD Board President Susanna Ordway said in a statement. “We are grateful to our hardworking staff for preparing our schools for a safe return.”
District staff say a return to in-person learning is paramount for learning purposes, as well as for their social emotional wellbeing.
Transitional kindergarten through sixth grade and special day class student in the SRVUSD returned to hybrid in-person learning in mid-February; however, district officials say the hybrid return was temporary and the plan has always been to eventually return to full-time in-person.
District staff say they are also prepared for the return of students in grades 7-12 for hybrid learning, but are unable to do so until Contra Costa County returns to the red tier in California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
According to state guidelines, secondary school students can return to in-person learning when the county moves out of the most-restrictive purple tier into the less-restrictive red tier — which is achieved when the county averages no more than seven new cases a day per 100,000 residents.
“The SRVUSD Board of Education has taken the lead in committing to in-person instruction for fall 2021. We are committed to reopening following all health and safety guidelines. Together with a committed staff, I believe this District has done everything we can to safely return students to campuses and classrooms and we are committed to a full return in the fall,” Superintendent John Malloy said.
“Our team shifted instruction last March, when schools had to move to virtual teaching and learning,” Malloy added. “Our education professionals have shown remarkable flexibility and dedication during this challenging time. Now they can look forward to returning to in-person instruction in the fall, and the joy of reconnecting with students and colleagues.”
