Delayed starts, chances for face-to-face teacher time. How county school year will open
Small and large, school districts within Stanislaus County whose academic years are set to start in early to mid-August will have one thing in common: Instruction will be online only.
A handful of districts, though, have pushed back their opening dates — or are considering doing so — into early September in hopes the infection and hospitalization numbers from the novel coronavirus pandemic will have fallen by then. If Stanislaus County no longer is on the state’s watch list, that could allow the return to classroom learning for families that want it.
One school board also was told by its superintendent this week that the distance-learning announcement made by county Public Health Officer Dr. Julie Vaishampayan and Superintendent of Schools Scott Kuykendall doesn’t preclude children from occasionally meeting face to face with teachers in scheduled, very small groups outdoors.
Here are when and how public school districts in the county will start the year. Plans are subject to change:
CERES
“The Ceres Unified School District is preparing to start the school year Aug. 12 with an equitable and vigorous distance learning program that has been redesigned and refined since the spring school closures to be more engaging and focused on grade-level objectives, with greater accountability for both teachers and students” spokeswoman Beth Parker Jimenez said. “We also look forward to returning to in-person instruction as soon as safely possible.” ceres.k12.ca.us
Chatom
The Chatom Union School District will begin Aug. 12 with a distance-learning model, said Superintendent Cherise Olvera. “We plan to offer in-person, small-group instruction as soon as we get additional guidance and approval from the Stanislaus County Public Health Officer.” www.chatom.k12.ca.us
Denair
Denair Unified will begin the school year Aug. 12 with a distance-learning model for all students. “We are currently finalizing device distribution, instructional expectations such as grading, and attendance policies,” Superintendent Terry Metzger said Tuesday. www.denairusd.org
Empire
The Empire Union School District will begin classes Aug. 10 with a distance-learning model. “We will continue to work collaboratively with the Stanislaus County Office of Education and Stanislaus County Department of Public Health towards a safe reopening in our district when health conditions allow,” Superintendent David E. Garcia said. www.empire.k12.ca.us
Gratton
Gratton School District will start its year Aug. 6. “Distance learning for the fall will require daily participation and accountability for students,” Superintendent Wendy Williams wrote in a July 14 letter to families. “Much like in the spring, distance learning will involve daily live lessons, in addition to independent work and assessments.” grattonschool.net
Hart-Ransom
Hart-Ransom Elementary School will start its academic year Aug. 10. In distance learning, “teachers will focus on advancing the grade-level curriculum for all students, and there will be attendance and participation accountability for all students,” Hart-Ransom Union School District Superintendent Matthew Shipley wrote in a letter to families. “All students will be accountable for their assigned schoolwork and assessments. Grades, progress reports, and report cards will be in effect.” hartransom.org
Hickman
Hickman Community Charter District will start the school year Aug. 12. When the Stanislaus County public health officer approves students returning to school, “we have contingencies for smaller classes using A/B schedules or full opening, depending on the PHO’s recommendations,” said Paul Gardner, superintendent. hickmanschools.org
Hughson
Hughson Unified School District will begin the school year Aug. 12. Superintendent Brenda Smith was asked by school board members at their meeting Tuesday about any opportunities for children to meet their teachers face to face. She said that as part of orientation, groups of five children or fewer, each with a parent, will be able to do so outside. She also said teachers will be able to meet with, for instance, an equally small “intervention group” on a scheduled basis in a very controlled outside environment. www.hughson.k12.ca.us
Keyes
Keyes Union School District will start the school year Aug. 12. In the coming weeks, district staff will give families more information on next steps and what distance learning will look like, Superintendent Helio Brasil said. “We look forward to future guidance, once state and county public health officials begin to identify a downward trend in hospitalizations and confirmed cases of COVID infections before taking any future steps beyond the distance learning. ... Keyes staff is committed to help guide our students and families through the uncertainty we are facing today and for the foreseeable future.” www.keyes.k12.ca.us
Modesto
Modesto City Schools families have two learning options for the start of the school year Aug. 10: Modesto Virtual Academy, an online independent study program with weekly teacher check-ins, or distance learning with a classroom teacher and required daily attendance checks, assignments and grading. MCS provides devices to all students in TK-12th grades. Technology and social/emotional support is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the MCS Information Hotline at 209-492-6000. mcs4kids.com
Newman-Crows Landing
Newman-Crows Landing Unified will open Aug. 11 with distance learning. www.nclusd.org
Oakdale
Oakdale Joint Unified School District Superintendent Marc Malone said the district currently is planning the training necessary to successfully launch its distance-learning platform Aug. 6. “Our goal is to engage every student and build our instruction around providing the foundation of knowledge needed for a seamless transition for our students back to classroom instruction when it is determined to be safe,” the superintendent said. www.oakdale.k12.ca.us
Paradise
Paradise Elementary School District is delaying the start of its year until Sept. 8. “Our hope is that the data begins to flatten, and we can get our students back in the classroom,” Superintendent Heath Thomason said. paradiseesd.org
Patterson
“Our board authorized pushing back the start of the instructional year for students to Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day,” Patterson Joint Unified School District Superintendent Philip M. Alfano said. “The final calendar will need to be board approved, but tentatively … we will move from a three-week winter break to a two-week break and end the academic year on June 17.” While his staff is fully prepared to execute a distance-learning model if needed, he said, the district does not believe distance learning is the best mode of instruction for K-12 students in Patterson. “If we still are unable to reopen our schools in September, this will at least provide students and staff the opportunity for an additional month (at the end of the school year) of in-class instruction when conditions do improve.” An informational WebEx meeting for all families will be held Wednesday, July 22, at 6 p.m. www.patterson.k12.ca.us
Riverbank
Riverbank Unified is working on a plan to provide distance learning beginning its first scheduled day of the school year, Aug. 6. “Students in grades 1-12 will be provided technology and we will plan developmentally appropriate instruction for our TK and K students,” Superintendent Christine Facella said. “We are also building plans for phases of opening school buildings to students so that we are prepared if and when that time arrives. It is our belief that students learn best when at school and we look forward to providing on-site instruction when feasible.” www.riverbank.k12.ca.us
Roberts Ferry
Roberts Ferry School District currently is set to begin its academic year Aug. 5. But “I might change that next week, everything is temporary right now,” Superintendent Bob Loretelli said Wednesday. Noting that some school districts, like Patterson, have pushed back the start of the school year until after Labor Day in hopes students will be able to return to classrooms by then, he added, “Being small, we have a little more creativity in what we can do.” His district’s starting day might remain Aug. 5, it might be pushed back but maybe not as late as Sept. 8 — it’s too soon to tell, he said and his staff will “make pivots” based on what’s happening with the pandemic. The district website is robertsferry.k12.ca.us but it’s being rebuilt.
Salida
Salida Union will start Aug. 12 with a distance-learning model, Superintendent Twila Tosh said. “We will look for guidance from our (Stanislaus County) public health officer as to when we would be able to begin phasing in small groups of students to our schools for in-person instruction.” www.salida.k12.ca.us
Shiloh
Shiloh School District pushed back the opening day of the school year from Aug. 26 to Sept. 8 in hopes that by that point, students will be allowed to come on campus for in-person learning. But a spokeswoman said the district is prepared to begin distance learning if students still are not allowed to return to classrooms then. shiloh.k12.ca.us
Stanislaus
Stanislaus Union School District will begin the school year Aug. 10. Technology device distribution for students will take place the week of Aug. 3, Superintendent Shannon Sanford said. The district website, www.stanunion.k12.ca.us, has more information, resources and updates added daily, she said.
Sylvan
The Sylvan Union School District year begins Aug. 10. New Superintendent Eric Fredrickson said Wednesday that his cabinet is putting together an e-learning program that will be rolled out to teachers in the next week or so. “The goal is it won’t look like what it looked like last spring,” he said. “That was a crisis. ... There’s definitely a clear mandate from the Legislature and governor about what the expectations are for distance learning.” In a letter on the district’s website, sylvan.k12.ca.us, the superintendent says Sylvan Union will host an online community forum July 28.
Turlock
Turlock Unified is opening Aug. 12 with distance learning, or families may choose the Hybrid Independent Learning Model, district spokeswoman Marie Russell said. Distance learning is daily interactive teaching from the classroom teacher to students at home. The hybrid model is scheduled interactions with the teacher at school and through technology while the students stay home. www.turlock.k12.ca.us/schoolopening
Valley Home
Valley Home Joint School District will start its year Aug. 5. In a recent letter to families, posted on the district webside, vhjsd.org, new Superindendent/Principal Debra Boggs wrote, “When we open (after distance learning), we will follow the most up-to-date virus protocols to ensure the safest possible environment for our staff and students. Social distancing will be practiced to the extent possible without moving to split schedules.”
Waterford
Because of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 spread and its effects on students returning to school, Waterford Unified is preparing a distance-learning model to start the school year Aug. 11, but also considering the possibility of moving the first day of school to late August or early September, Superintendent Don Davis said. www.waterford.k12.ca.us
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 1:11 PM.
