PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — At a time when coronavirus cases are surging, several local school districts are considering fully reopening, as early as next month.
In the Rocklin Unified School District, school board members discussed and voted on a plan on Monday night which would bring their students back to in-person learning five days a week, instead of the hybrid model.
The agreed upon plan involves an AM/PM model, starting Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. Once the county hits the Orange Tier, the district would then transition to a full week schedule. The district will stay in the AM/PM model until April 6, 2021, even if the county doesn't hit the Orange Tier, then transition to a fulltime, full week schedule for the remainder of the school year.
But many wonder if this is the right time, as cases continue to surge.
“Now that we’re in the worst of this entire pandemic situation, the topic we’re discussing is potentially the most risky for our students and our staff members. It just seems counterproductive, counterintuitive," Travis Mougeotte, President of the Rocklin Teachers Professional Association said.
Mougeotte, who is also a history teacher at Whitney High School, said 89% of Rocklin teachers surveyed said they don’t believe the district is ready to move into a five day a week learning model just yet.
“If anything it seems like a great opportunity to just pause the decision right and let’s get through the current surge of cases in our community," he said.
Based on numbers released by the district, as of last Friday, a total of 29 staff members and 113 students district-wide have tested positive since they returned to in-person learning in mid-September.
“If the schools feel they can keep the kids safe, I think it’s very important they keep going to school like this," Tim Taylor, a grandparent said.
Taylor has three grandkids going through the district right now and he’d like to see them all at school five days a week to give them a more consistent routine.
“A routine where you do certain learning everyday is more important than well we’ll do some today and two days later we’ll do something else...so I just think it’s important," he said.
But this district isn’t alone. The Roseville Joint Union High School District is also considering a similar plan moving into five days a week back on campus, with their school board discussing on Monday night.
The Rescue Union School District in El Dorado County already approved a plan back in October that would bring their students back in-person five days week starting in January. Superintendent Cheryl Olsen confirmed that their school board will discuss if they’d like to keep those plans or make any changes, given the circumstances, on Tuesday night.
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