The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), in collaboration with the 13 public school districts in Sacramento County, has released a document of guiding principles and planning considerations schools and districts should consider when making plans for opening the 2020–21 school year. Each individual district will be responsible for creating its own reopening plan.
The document—“School Year Planning: A Guide to Address the Challenges of COVID-19”—is the work of a committee comprised of representatives from local school districts and describes considerations and options for districts in the following areas:
- Health and safety protocols that must be followed to keep students, families, and school staff safe and healthy.
- Schools will maintain a continuum of options that include in-person and remote learning.
- Because of the need for social distancing, every child cannot be on campus at the same time.
- Attending to the social and emotional well-being of students must be a top priority as they return to school.
- To provide for social distancing, activities that require students to congregate will not be permitted or will need to be greatly limited.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to reopening schools,” said David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools. “This document is a guide for our local districts to consider as they plan for the next school year.”
The document begins with a section titled “What Families Can Expect When Schools Reopen,” explaining in plain terms how schools will likely be different when campuses reopen. The document is based on recommended health and safety guidance from Sacramento County Public Health based on current protocols and restrictions.
As the COVID-19 situation evolves, and as additional guidance from the State and Sacramento County Public Health is issued during the summer, local school districts will adjust as needed.
Opening schools successfully will depend on adequate funding to support the necessary safety and scheduling provisions. Various state waivers will also be needed to afford flexibility with traditional compliance requirements.
Update 7/2/20: Added additional languages.