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FUHSD Superintendent says in-person learning slated for summer school and 2021-2022

When the next school year begins, it will be in a traditional school format, reported Ilsa Garza-Gonzalez, superintendent of the Fallbrook Union High School District.

Graduation ceremonies this year will also be in person, as well as summer school, she said. Masks will continue to be required as per the most recent state guidance for next year. However, the rest of this school year may continue to be a Hybrid Distance Learning model.

“Fallbrook Union High School District and the Board of Education take pride in adhering to the California Education Code and in following the guidance regarding the operation of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she explained. "In October 2020, FUHSD reached a memorandum of understanding with the Fallbrook High School Teachers Association regarding Hybrid Distance Learning.

“Our MOU addressing distance learning had been reached prior to the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. The MOU included language tying our reopening of campuses to the tiers described in the CA Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The language is not uncommon for high school, adheres to the guidelines provided by the California Department of Public Health and the San Diego Department of Public Health, and places the health of our students and our staff at the forefront.”

Garza-Gonzalez said if you visit the San Diego County Office of Education Reopening Dashboard, https://covid-19.sdcoe.net/Reopening-Plan/School-Reopening-Dashboard, you will find that, as of April 13, most high school districts have not returned to full in-person instruction.

“When San Diego County enters the Yellow Tier, we will return to our traditional schedule and full in-person instruction,” she said.

FUHSD made plans to return to in-person learning in a hybrid model at the start of second semester. As part of their planning, they created a survey for parents to select the learning option of their choice. Very few parents, only 200, responded at that time, the superintendent said.

In November, San Diego County regressed into the more restrictive Purple Tier. Because FUHSD had not started in-person instruction, schools were not allowed to reopen until the county entered the Red Tier.

Elementary schools could apply for waivers to reopen, but these waivers were not available to high schools, she explained.

“When we began to see an improvement in COVID-19 case rates, FUHSD began to plan for in-person learning for small cohorts of students who were most at risk, Garza-Gonzalez said. “We made the decision to start in-person learning for the cohorts upon returning from spring break, April 5. We contacted parents whose students were eligible. During this planning, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 86, but more importantly, the tiers in the blueprint were adjusted due to the high number of people being vaccinated.”

FUHSD calculated that San Diego County might enter the Orange Tier on April 7 and "we could then reopen in a hybrid model on April 21," she explained.

Garza-Gonzalez said that understanding that a change to the MOU could result in less planning and a smoother transition both for our students and our staff, an addendum to the MOU was reached between FHSTA and FUHSD. The addendum was ratified by FHSTA on the morning of Friday, March 26. A special Board meeting was scheduled for March 29 at 8 a.m. and posted on the district website the afternoon of March 26. She also contacted the Village News.

She noted that the Ralph M. Brown Act requires that the district post notices of special board meetings only 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

“Given that we posted the meeting notice in the afternoon of March 26 and the meeting was not held until 8 a.m. on March 29, FUHSD complied with the posting requirements of the Brown Act,” Garza-Gonzalez said.

 

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