Cambrian Update
Cambrian School District, December 4, 2020
Dear Cambrian Families,
Yesterday, Governor Newsom announced a regional stay-at-home order in an effort to combat the surge of COVID-19 cases throughout the state. While the Bay Area Health Officers acknowledged this important step rather than wait and delay closures, the Bay Area Health Officers just announced the move to implement the State’s New Stay Home Order (to begin Sunday December 6, 2020) to slow the surge and prevent our local hospitals from being overwhelmed.
The Governor’s Regional Stay at Home order does not apply to schools. The order states: “Guidance related to schools remains in effect and unchanged.” Subsequently, schools that have previously reopened for in-person instruction may remain open, and schools may continue to bring students back for in-person instruction under the Cohorting Guidance of the Elementary School Waiver Process.
As such, our specialized targeted groups, special education assessments and Extended childcare, that are currently open in Cambrian School District will remain open. Under the Cohorting Guidance that is outlined in the state’s COVID-19 In-Person Learning Framework, all schools and districts may offer on-site support to small groups of students when a county is in the purple tier.
Cambrian School District staff and Board of Trustees has been working tirelessly to develop and implement reopening for in person instruction plans that will allow us the opportunity and latitude to eventually bring students back to our classrooms. Since Cambrian School District has not reopened for in-person instruction we cannot open and must wait until the county has been in the Substantial (Red) Tier for 14 days. Our plans in Cambrian School District were to begin bringing students back in January for in-person instruction as we had been in a lesser restrictive tier until recently. Now that we are in the Purple Tier we must wait until we are in the Red Tier or less restrictive tier so we can provide in-person instruction following all Public Health protocols.
What are the next steps for the Cambrian School District?
Bringing students and staff back for in-person instruction safely is a priority following all Public Health guidelines. Our goal is to gradually return to in-person instruction when we are in the Red Tier, but will need to be flexible, given the current COVID-19 caseload in the County.
Cambrian School District Timeline Adaption and Considerations
Today’s shelter-in-place is an effort by health officials to slow down the spread of COVID-19. Santa Clara County is in the state’s Purple Tier and just at the beginning of this third wave of COVID-19 cases surging in our community. We committed long ago that we would reopen for in-person instruction when approved to do so by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Cases in Santa Clara County are trending up and projected to continue on that upward trend through December. In order for Cambrian Schools to reopen for in-person instruction the following must take place:
Santa Clara County would need to be trending down in COVID-19 cases for 14 days before we move into the Red Tier. The status of tier is updated on Tuesdays.
Then Santa Clara County would need to remain in the Red Tier for an additional 14 days.
Once the above two are met we would transition and communicate new return dates for students with the first group being (TK-2nd grade) being on the first Monday after 14 days in the Red Tier.
Subsequently, we are looking at 33 days after cases begin to trend down in Santa Clara County before returning to in-person instruction. While all of us do not know when that will happen, it is good to know the timeline we are working with for returning to in-person instruction. Based on the information shared by the Governor yesterday, we do not anticipate that downward trend beginning in December.
We also know that bringing students back will be a phased and deliberate approach and that not all students who want to return will be able to do so.
Special Board of Trustees Meeting Scheduled
When we planned to bring students back for in-person instruction, we were well aware that the conditions may change with the county with COVID-19 cases. As such, the Governing Board of Trustees thoughtfully pre-planned a Special Board Meeting on January 7, 2021, at 7 p.m. All members of our community are welcomed and encouraged to attend our virtual (online) board meetings. At the January 7th meeting, CSD staff will report to the Board on reopening plans, adjusted timeline based on the tier in January, and any updated Public Health Department requirements.
Given the current circumstances, the shelter-in-place order, and the Governor’s evolving guidelines, Cambrian School District continues working to provide you with as much certainty as possible. However, as clearly demonstrated by the ever-evolving facts this pandemic has created, our plans will always be contingent on the direction provided by state and local health officials.
To date, many families throughout the world have lost loved ones. Although these measures may feel restrictive, and even arbitrary at times, they are the path toward ensuring that we do not expose our community to pain and loss.
Thank you for your patience and support during this difficult time. By working together, we will be in the classroom sooner rather than later.
CAMBRIAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
Email: klavond@cambriansd.com
Website: www.cambriansd.org
Location: 4115 Jacksol Drive, San Jose, CA, USA
Phone: (408) 377-2103
Facebook: facebook.com/CambrianSchoolDistrict
Twitter: @Supt_Andrews