DECEMBER 17, 2020. A conditional school reopening plan was approve by the Board of Trustees during their regular meeting. School for all grade levels will resume under a Distance Learning model on January 12, 2021 with the following conditions: 
 

• For Students in Elementary Grades TK – 5: to facilitate a smoother academic transition for all elementary students, First Semester will be extended starting Tuesday, January 12, 2021 through Thursday, February 11, 2021. Distance learning under existing elementary teacher and student assignments will continue unchanged. 

• Spring semester for grades TK – 5 would begin on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. 
• Parents will receive spring semester class rosters in the second week of January. 
   

• For Students Grades 6 – 12: Spring semester would begin Tuesday, January 12, 2021 under the distance learning model, and is subject to teacher and student roster changes to accommodate both virtual learning for families that expressed this preference when surveyed, and on campus cohort/hybrid instruction once it is safe. 

• Protecting the medical needs of students and staff remains a priority for reopening under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. 
• Parents will receive spring semester class rosters in early January. 
   

• Grab and Go Meal Service resumes Tuesday January 12, 2021 at the same school locations. 

 

• Athletic Conditioning and Sports Calendar Options: Athletic conditioning is currently suspended until January 4, 2021. State and Regional championships have been removed from the CIF Season 1 Sports Calendar. 

• As allowed under guidance from the California Department of Public Health and local health orders, LEUSD will evaluate conditions in order to notify student participants as to when activities such as conditioning and competition can safely resume. 
• A modified sports season and calendar for LEUSD high schools will also be explored. 

The district's goal of moving into phase two cohort/hybrid instruction when Riverside County is in the red tier and it is safe for our students and staff to return remains unchanged. 

  

DECEMBER 6, 2020. The Governor announced a new stay at home health order last Thursday, which became effective Saturday, December 5th, with additional triggers based upon ICU capacity below 15% that went into effect in our Southern California Region at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, December 6. The Regional Stay at Home Order doesn't alter existing state and public health guidance for schools and education, though certain restrictions may result in more employees and teachers working from home while the Order remains in effect for at least another three weeks, or until ICU capacity returns to better than 15%. Communicating with the District Office or staff is best using email, though our switchboard is covered during business days. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is on December 17, 2020. Please watch for additional communications via ParentSquare, district and school web sites, and our social media channels to learn more about our school reopening plans and status after Winter Recess, which begins December 21, 2020 through January 11, 2021 (January 11 is a teacher/non-student work day). 

  

DECEMBER 5, 2020. Following a news release from CIF about the removal of State and Regional Championships from the Season 1 Calendar, last week the district notified student athletes that athletic conditioning and workouts would be suspended effective Saturday, December 5, because of worsening pandemic conditions while Riverside County remains in the state's most restrictive COVID-19 risk tier, purple. The district will reassess conditions after January 4, 2021. 

  

NOVEMBER 30, 2020. LEUSD has extended existing school and workplace occupancy limits through Friday, December 11 to limit the risk of COVID-19 spread through our workplace environment. We will reassess conditions next on December 14. At two upcoming Board of Trustee meetings on December 3 at 9:00 a.m., and on December 17 at 6:00 p.m., we will provide a public update on pandemic school reopening plans for second semester of the 2020-2021 school year. These virtual Board meetings are accessible by preregistering for the Webinar link. Visit our home page under the Calendar heading for links when they become available. 

  

NOVEMBER 13, 2020. School Waiver Process Suspended. Riverside University Health System (RUHS) informed school partners that application for new school waivers are officially suspended as of 11/13/2020. Officials stated that until the county's adjusted case rate is consistently below the maximum level of 14, waivers cannot be submitted for state concurrence. Case prevalence data and positivity rates continue to trend upward. (Schools with existing waivers that have not yet opened will still be allowed to open under the waiver terms). 

  

NOVEMBER 9, 2020. Riverside County remains in the state's most restrictive risk tier for COVID-19: purple. To avoid the risk of coronavirus transmission in the workplace, LEUSD recently implemented a limit on workplace occupancy effective November 9 through November 30. As a result, the previously announced plan to start a small group cohort program for special education services in early November must be postponed. We are reassessing conditions regularly, so we can provide an update on or by November 30, 2020. 

  

OCTOBER 23, 2020. Special Education students with Moderate / Moderate-Severe disabilities may be allowed to return to school campuses in small group cohorts beginning in early November 2020. LEUSD is in negotiations regarding start dates...View the full news release: English  Spanish 

 

OCTOBER 22, 2020. Trustees approved a recommendation to extend Distance Learning for all grades to the end of first semester, Friday, December 18, 2020. In-person instruction for all grades TK-12 would begin on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, subject to being in the red tier. Riverside County is currently in the purple tier. Should the County still be in the purple tier in January, the Board approved reassessing health conditions and reopening timelines to give parents and staff advance notice of any changes. View the full news release: English  Spanish

 

In other action on October 22nd, trustees reviewed learning models for Elementary Grades TK-6; Middle School Grades 6-8; and High School, Grades 9-12. Separate reopening committee for Elementary, MS, and HS grade levels have each developed their preferred school reopening schedules; however, the plans linked below are not yet adopted and are awaiting negotiation approval so they can be presented and ratified by the Board of Trustees.

 

 

OCTOBER 8, 2020. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a Draft School Reopening Plan 2020-21 at the Regular Meeting of the Board. The plan will serve as the 'Constitution' or rulebook for reopening schools safely under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Timelines and schedules were not included in the approval action, but were placed on a Special Meeting set for October 22, 2020, the outcome of which is reported above.

 

 

The Board video presentation is below; if you do not see the video frame, paste the URL into your browser: https://youtu.be/H5BlRxp0zLo.

 

Below are video timestamps and corresponding Draft School Reopening Plan topics:

 

00:00:15  Overview & Introduction, presenter: Dr. Doug Kimberly, Superintendent

00:04:08  Maintenance & Operations, presenter: James Judziewicz, Director, School Operations

00:06:15  Health & Safety / PPE Supply Protocol, presenter: Philip Dominguez, Director of School Support Services

00:07:20  Transportation Element, presenter: Gene Durham, Director, Transportation & Facilities Support Services

00:08:46  Food & Nutrition Programs, presenter: Arleen Sanchez, Chief Business Official

00:10:54  COVID-19 Screening, Exposure Notification, Testing Protocols, presenters: Dr. Kip Meyer, Assistant Superintendent, Student & Instructional Support Services; and Jennifer Edquist, nursing team member

00:22:00  Social & Emotional Wellness, presenter: Felipe Flores, Program Specialist-Mental Health

00:26:36  Learning Models: Cohort and Hybrid In-person, presenter: Tracy Sepulveda, Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Support Services

00:29:42 Elementary School Schedule Options (pros & cons of 3 schedule variations), presenter: Rita Post, Director of Elementary Curriculum & Instruction

00:40:15  Middle School Schedule Options (pros & cons of 2 schedule variations), presenters: Dr. Alain Guevara, Assistant Superintendent, Administrative & Instructional Technology Support Services and Dr. Steve Behar, Director of Child Welfare and Attendance

00:55:46 High School Learning Model Overview, presenter: Dr. Kip Meyer

00:57:25 High School Schedule Options (pros & cons), presenter: Brian Deis, Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction

01:08:22  Parent Survey Summation, presented by Dr. Doug Kimberly

01:09:25  Athletics & Extracurricular Overview, presented by Brian Deis

01:10:59  Conclusion, presented by Dr. Doug Kimberly

01:12:00  Board Action, President Heidi Dodd