District News

After careful review by county and state public health departments, Campbell Union School District’s  (CUSD) School Reopening Plan received waiver approval. It is one of only four public school districts to have its reopening plan go through California’s stringent two-level vetting process.

Waiver Intended for Small Groups

For CUSD, waiver approval means our schools may provide some in-person support during Phase 1 to students who have been the most challenged in remote learning and mitigate learning loss related to COVID-19 school closures. As the district’s School Reopening Plan under Phase 1 states: “Some in-person supports and services may be provided to students with an IEP or others in high-needs subgroups. Per the allowance within the Governor’s guidelines.”

“Having the waiver approved and acting on it are two separate steps,” said Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. “It won’t happen immediately, but we want to ensure we are prepared to act if and when the conditions allow. Safety is our top priority as we also work to address achievement and equity gaps that persist during distance learning.”

The official waiver approval process, which took place between August 13th and August 31st, involved a thorough review of CUSD's reopening plan with specific focus on our safety measures, hygiene, social distancing, face covering and other public health department protocol recommendations. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department suggested minor clarifications, which the district added to its reopening plan.

Extra Scrutiny Brings Added Assurance

Amid that official scrutiny, on August 25th, the California Department of Public Health released the Guidance for Small Cohorts/Groups of Children and Youth, meaning this double-vetting will not be required of schools that implement the new guidelines going forward. However, CUSD staff, students and families now have the extra assurance that our process adheres to the recommendations of our local and state authorities.  

The School Reopening Plan overview states that progression between phases of the plan will be informed by “public health guidelines, current state of the virus and input from the Reopening Committee.”

“New California law states that schools must provide in-person learning to the greatest extent possible,’ Viramontez said. “Our goal is to do that in a way that is safe for students, staff and families.”

Governor Newsom announced California’s new blueprint for reducing COVID-19 in the state and the revised criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions on reopening activities. The new California Department of Public Health’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy replaces the previous State Monitoring List, and includes guidance for schools that aligns with State law directing public schools to "offer in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible." (Ed. Code § 43504). 

Based on recent data, each county will fall into one of four colored tiers—Purple (Widespread), Red (Substantial), Orange (Moderate) and Yellow (Minimal)—based on how prevalent COVID-19 is in each county and the extent of community spread. That color will indicate how sectors can operate.

The blueprint lays out the measures that each county must meet, based on indicators that capture disease burden, testing, and health equity, and it reaffirms the July 17 School Re-opening Framework and the Guidance for Small Cohorts/Groups of Children and Youth for reopening schools for in-person instruction. Because individual counties may be more restrictive than the State’s plan, our District leadership will monitor local directives and conditions closely before initiating any progression from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of our Reopening Plan.

“Connecting with the students filled our souls. They are why we chose this profession!”

That statement from a school principal sums up reports from our school staff about the first day of classes on Monday.

Despite a bumpy start with Zoom’s system errors, the day was filled with animated teachers, smiling students, and an easing of stress as teachers and students began the school year together in distance learning.  

Here, we are sharing a few of the over 300 first-day photos we received from proud parents. We’ll share others throughout the coming weeks. 

Families and staff are asking for help with finding school-day supervision for their children when distance learning begins on August 24th. We have had some luck with reaching out to local businesses and city officials to identify options and will share them as they become available.

Here’s a start:

• Our District CampbellCare program will operate at several locations, from 2:30 until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. This video shows our systems for social distancing and staying safe. Details about the program, waiting list, and registration are online. 
• Sutton Swim School ‘Distance Learning Support Camps’ will begin August 24, 2020 for students in grades 1-5. Three days per week. The camps will be in three-week blocks. Phone 408-996-9800, email info [at] suttonswim.com, or  register online. 
• The City of San Jose is coordinating a process with several school districts for providing some school-day supervision for students at some of its community centers and libraries. Details are still being developed, and we will provide information to you when we have it. 

Because we know of this need, we will continue reaching out and communicating with city, church and business partners to find more support for families who need daytime supervision for their students.