Carson City School Board agrees to August 24 start date, hybrid schedule for all schools

The Carson City School Board voted Tuesday in favor of the reopening plan proposed by the school district with a 4-3 vote, which includes pushing the starting date to Aug 24, with a few alterations from the original plan.

Instead of face coverings or face masks not being required for students who are 9 or younger, the new directive by the Governor requires masks to be worn by all students and adults within the building, with the exception of a 504 plan or an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for those students who may not be able to put them on or take them off by themselves.

A 504 Plan is a plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations that will ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment. The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services.

“We’ve been asked by state leaders to come up with a plan to reopen schools,” said Carson City Superintendent Richard Stokes. “There are things we cannot do to make everyone happy with the plan given the current rules and expectations.”

Schools must submit their plans by July 31 to the state, according to Stokes.

There are three plans that the district is preparing for, which includes a 100 percent online only model, a hybrid schedule which includes students being in class two days a week and home three days a week, and a 100 percent fully in the classroom model.

The online model includes:
— Families not sending their children to school
— K-5 Remote Learning with District Classroom Teacher
— 6-8 Remote Learning with District Teacher and Edgenuity
— 9-12 Online Learning with Commercial Curriculum and Online Teacher
— 100 percent Online Learning Requires “Opt in” Notification

For the K-5 remote model, the district will be utilizing a district teacher, assign them to a number of students at a particular grade level, for 2.5 to 3 hours a day in remote opportunities said Stokes. Everything from formal lessons about standardized curriculum to practice problems and more.

“It would be a school classroom but it would be held remotely,” said Stokes.

This is significantly different then an independent online learning program, but instead would encourage working with other students and the teacher, said Stokes.

Students may be combined from different schools in order to have full class sizes within their grade level. For example, if there are six 4th graders from Seeliger and six 4th graders Bordewich, they would be combined within the online classroom.

There is no cost associated with the K-5 remote model. For higher levels there is a per pupil cost the school district pays.

The beginning of the 2020-2021 school year will start with a hybrid schedule, at all Carson City School District schools at all levels. All students will be placed in two Cohort groups. On Mondays, both groups will remain at home. Then, Group 1 will be at school in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Group 2 will be at school in person on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Kindergarten through 8th grade students will be asked to stick to each plan for a quarter at a time. In the high school, due to the schedule of online learning, students must stay in one plan for a full semester.

Carson City has received $10 million in CARES grant funding, and they are working with the Carson City School District and will be considering the district’s request for funds to continue distance learning education.

Parents are asked to respond by Aug. 2 to decide what model they will be in. A parent intent form will be launched to families once the board has approved the district wide plan.

The form will be sent via Google forms and families will be able to access them on their smartphones as well as computers.

For families who do not have access to online technology, they can call their student’s school to inform them of their decision.

“If everything went south, and the governor says we have to close down schools again, the importance of this process is we have a way to continue on and not have to handout packets like we did last spring, this will be a much better system for offering education,” said Stokes.

The school district heard many complaints from parents and students at the end of the last year regarding the organization of materials, and the packets students had to complete independently.

“This is not packet learning. This is a blended learning model, “ said Stokes. “I think we’d all agree that face to face learning is the best model. Given our conditions though, as we were contemplating this hybrid model, our reopening committee agreed to a plan that is two days in school and three days at home.”

The current district bus plan includes keeping buses at a 50 percent capacity, which is approximately 42 out of 84 seats. The district is discussing having children reserve seats on the bus.

For a special education student who would need access to on-campus school on Monday, transportation would be provided.

Additionally, schools with work with families so that the same students in a family will be on campus on the same days, which would make it easier for families to find daycare if need be.

For the full plan original draft, you can read the agenda here; the draft begins at page 157 on the July 14 agenda.