Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara speaks during a news conference at Petersen Elementary School Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021.
Published Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021 | 12:59 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021 | 5:23 p.m.
Clark County School District students in all grades can return to the classroom by early April after more than a year of remote learning because of the pandemic, officials announced today.
Elementary school students will eventually return to the classroom five days a week, while older students will come back under a hybrid model — two days in the classroom and three days of remote learning.
The district also outlined a plan for the return of extracurricular activities and sports.
“They are all our kids and all our employees and they deserve the best,” School Board President Linda Cavazos said.
The district had previously only announced plans to bring back pre-kindergarten through third-grade students under a hybrid model staring on Monday.
On March 22, students in grades six, nine and 12 can return to face-to-face instruction under the hybrid model.
On April 6, students in grades seven, eight, 10 and 11 can return under the hybrid model, while those in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade can return to the classroom five days a week.
“We will continue to offer a full-time distance education option to our families who feel more comfortable keeping their children at home,” Superintendent Jesus Jara said.
Gov. Steve Sisolak’s “easing of restrictions last week has provided an expedited route to open our schools, and that is what we intend to do,” Jara said.
Spring sports practices for boys and girls will begin April 3, with games commencing April 16. That includes track, swimming, diving, baseball, softball, golf and boys volleyball.
No spectators, however, will be allowed at any district athletic events.
Intramural football in the form of 20 full-contact practices and an intrasquad game will get underway April 5 and run through May 1. Tennis, soccer, cross country and girls volleyball will run May 3 through 22 in a similar fashion.
Those sports, traditionally contested in the fall, have twice been delayed because of the pandemic. While the solution won't feature games between schools, it still serves a purpose by giving athletes some closure for the year.
“We are ecstatic,” Arbor View football coach Matt Gerber said. “We are glad to get this thing going. It has been long overdue.”
Small-town schools in CCSD — Moapa Valley in Overton, Virgin Valley in Mesquite and Pahrump — will compete in a fall season hosted by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association starting March 6. They can participate because students in those towns, where the coronavirus positivity rate is lower, have been attending school in-person. Private schools Bishop Gorman and Faith Lutheran, and the Slam Academy charter school are also participating in the NIAA season.
The NIAA was able to resume play after Gov. Steve Sisolak's announcement last week that sports could continue.
Similar to athletics, students will be allowed to engage in extracurricular activities like marching band, drill team and theater. To ensure safety, performing arts classes will have the option of engaging in streamed concerts for the immediate future, the district said.
A few hours before the district’s announcement, North Las Vegas leaders gathered to urge a restart of school activities and sports.
“Our babies need a positive outlet,” said Councilwoman Pamela Goynes-Brown. “They need fresh air and exercise, mentorship from coaches and staff, teamwork with their friends.”
Clark County is one of a few jurisdictions nationally that hasn’t contested one minute of prep sports. That has led to an increase other problems, North Las Vegas Police Chief Pamela Ojeda said.
“There has been a devastating trend of suicides among young people and there has been an 1,100 percent increase in drug overdoses in children,” she said. “That is horrific.”
The expanded reopening plans comes after much urging from parents and students, many whom spoke at the last School Board meeting.
This is the third time officials have tried to bring students back to campus. But, unlike the other attempts, this plan has the backing of all parties — most importantly the teachers union.
An attempt in August was halted out of safety concerns as there was inadequate virus testing and personal protective equipment available for schools. Now, many School District employees have received the vaccine.
Another attempt in November didn’t advance because a winter spike in virus cases. Jara, who has shouldered most of the blame for the slowed return, said the time is finally right.
Reports of new coronavirus cases in Nevada continued to decline Wednesday, with the state’s two-week rolling rate of tests coming back positive dropping to a level not seen since late October.
Nevada’s 14-day positivity rate was 8.6%. Health officials reported 516 new COVID-19 cases and 16 additional deaths.
"This is something we have been agonizing for a long time to get our kids in front of teachers,” Jara said. “This is really about getting our kids in school and getting our kids active.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
