Start of school to be mostly virtual at California Area

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

The California Area School Board is slated to vote on a school reopening plan Aug. 19, but changes have already been made in how school will be operating.

The district has posted new guidelines calling for two in-person school days followed by several weeks of 100% virtual education for all students. According to a letter posted by Superintendent Dr. Laura Jacob, the district’s Pandemic Task Force is recommending that students attend in person Aug. 26 and Aug. 28, with a virtual day Aug. 27. Online classes would begin the next week and run through Sept. 18, when the situation will be reconsidered.

According to the letter, the two face-to-face days will give students and teachers an opportunity to meet one another and for materials to be passed out. The virtual day in between provides an opportunity for everyone to familiarize themselves with Google Classroom and make sure they are able to properly log on and connect as a class.

According to Jacob, Washington County COVID-19 case data available on the state’s version of the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System is higher now than it was in March and had increases in July when the area was in lockdown. 

Jacob said with travel and gatherings likely over the Labor Day weekend, holding virtual classes for two weeks provides an automatic quarantine period for everyone in the district.

A detailed schedule for virtual class periods is posted on the district website.

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