Yasmina Chavez
Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus F. Jara, Ed. D., reacts to a public commenter during a Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, March 12, 2020. (Yasmina Chavez / Las Vegas Sun)
Friday, July 10, 2020 | 4:30 p.m.
Clark County Schools Superintendent Jesus Jara said today he still has no idea what the district’s final reopening plan will look like when classes resume Aug. 24.
“If I had a crystal ball, I could tell you,” he said.
The School Board on Thursday approved a plan but made clear it wasn’t committing to follow it and that the only purpose was to meet a deadline to submit a proposal to the state Department of Education.
The board unanimously passed the motion “on a provisional basis only with the stipulation that it’s only for the express purpose of submitting a plan in a timely manner and is in no way a final approval of a specific plan and provides flexibility for modification.”
It was important, nonetheless, for the board to approve the district’s proposal to keep the reopening process moving forward, Jara said.
He called the vote “monumental’ and said it will allow more time to solidify a final plan and maintain the Aug. 24 start date.
The tentative plan to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic calls for in-person instruction two days a week and online learning three days a week. There is also the option for online-only instruction.
The plan also requires students to wear face masks, calls for enhanced cleaning of campuses and limits classroom capacity to 18 students.
But the School Board intends to pick up the plan again for further discussion.
If the School District changes its plan, it would have to resubmit it to the Department of Education and certify it complies with state guidelines.
Many decisions will depend on the results of a survey to determine how many parents would opt for full-time distance learning or the hybrid model.
In any case, it is not feasible for schools to reopen for live instruction five days a week and maintain social distancing guidelines, Jara said.
Jara said he is also hoping the state, which is struggling with a massive budget deficit, will help pay for computers and internet for students who don’t have access.
“Internet shouldn’t be a luxury, especially in the times we’re in right now,” he said.
