Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. along with CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara, speaks to the media during a press conference at the Sawyer State Building regarding COVID-19 and the closing of K-12 schools in the district, Sunday March 15, 2020.
Monday, May 4, 2020 | 4:15 p.m.
Nearly a month and a half after Las Vegas-area schools shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Superintendent Jesus Jara detailed on Monday the Clark County School District’s plans for distance learning during the summer and its preparation for an eventual return to in-person schooling.
Virtual summer school will focus on content from the 2019-2020 school year and will only be available to students in need of secondary credit retrieval courses. Other students will have the option to learn new content through Nevada Learning Academy, with all programming being offered at a reduced price of $70 per half-credit. All summer learning will be done remotely.
“The decision was to continue providing the (summer school) program as we had in the past. It’s for credit recovery for 6th-12th grade students,” Jara said.
In anticipation of Gov. Steve Sisolak lifting Nevada’s stay-at-home order as early as May 15, the district will ask some employees to return to school buildings following the governor’s phased approach for reopening the state. These include custodians, buildings and grounds workers, maintenance workers, transportation employees and cabinet staff.
Some employees could be allowed to continue working remotely, and those who object to returning to school or at high risk of COVID-19 complications could request an accommodation to work remotely or take paid or unpaid leave.
While CCSD facilities will remain closed during the first phase of state's reopening, school building supervisors will be expected to develop reopening plans to prevent the spread of the virus. The plans should include shifts for employees to promote social distancing and frequent cleaning of common areas. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be encouraged but not required.
“Cleaning of buildings is going to be our priority,” Jara said. “We are also looking at and working with our Southern Nevada partners here in Clark County looking at PPE.”
Finances and budgeting for the next school year have not yet been finalized, with the district expecting details about projected budget cuts sometime this month, Jara said. He hopes that the federal government will consider a funding request put out last week by the Council of the Great City Schools, which includes CCSD, in light of possible cuts.
“We need a federal investment because this is not the time for us to cut the budget in education. This is the time for us to invest in our students,” Jara said.
Moving into the fall, the district is developing plans for some in-person schooling if it safe and appropriate. It is possible that the district will offer “blended learning,” whereby some students would attend school for part of the week and engage in remote learning for the other weekdays to reduce crowding.
Considering CCSD’s class sizes, which are among the highest in the country, social distancing could be challenging once in-person classes can resume, Jara said.
“How do we keep six feet apart in the classroom, and not only that, but how do we do lunch, and recess?” he said.
A working group consisting of educators and parents could hopefully find solutions to that and other ongoing challenges, Jara said.
