SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Poway Unified School District officials say they are going fully online for the fall school year after originally planning to give students the option for in-person instruction.
In a letter to parents on Wednesday, the school district said that "stringent" standards that need to be met for in-person classes "have made it impossible for any San Diego County school district to physically reopen schools for in-person instruction before mid-September."
PUSD said it planned for the possibility to resume classes in-person after the county was off the state's monitoring list for 14 consecutive days. But the requirement now requires that the county is off the watch list for 28 consecutive days, and if at any point the county exceeds the threshold for three days, it would be back on the state list and have to go through another 28-day cycle.
"In late Fall, we will reevaluate our plans taking into full consideration then-current public health conditions, and guidelines and restrictions from the Governor and public health department," the district said in a release. "While this information is likely to disappoint the majority of our staff and families who indicated a desire to return to on-campus learning as soon as possible, everyone should know that -- due to our extensive planning thus far -- PUSD will be ready for a prompt and safe return to in-person instruction if permitted to do so come January."
The school district says its 2020-21 school year will start virtually on Sept. 2, and remain fully virtual through the December break from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, 2021.
The district adds that teachers and instructional assistants will receive additional training in virtual teaching platforms and tools in August and that the district will provide all the necessary technology for teachers and students. Parent training videos are also being developed to support families.
