KCSD & Me: Return to distance (CDL)
November 24, 2020
Dear KCSD families,
We hope you are having an enjoyable Thanksgiving break. The district is preparing for the transition to comprehensive distance learning for all KCSD students as of Monday, Nov. 30.
This transition follows a Nov. 20 recommendation from Klamath County Public Health. While this is disappointing news, we appreciate the work public health is doing to keep our community safe. They have been strong advocates for in-person learning, and we will continue to work with them to reopen our schools as soon as metrics allow.
We are working quickly to adjust our instructional model for students. We realize this transition will be a big change for our K-3 and rural students who have been attending in-person since the beginning of the school year. Special Services students also will be in full distance learning: Letter to Special Services Families.
Distance learning transition timeline
- Each school will establish their own learning day schedules. Make sure your student checks their Schoology account and school email regularly for instructions and updates from their schools and teachers.
- Some schools may arrange for students to come into buildings next week as needed to retrieve materials and belongings.
- Junior high and high schools that were in comprehensive distance learning (CDL) earlier this month will quickly transition back to the CDL model. Rural schools may take several days to develop and distribute schedules and supplies. Please monitor Schoology, email, and One Call for details.
- Suburban schools that were previously delivering distance learning to 4-6 students will begin a Zoom schedule on Tuesday, Dec.1. Other schools may need a day or two to prepare for Zoom instructional delivery. Parents should expect to hear from their school early next week.
- K-2/3 will be using paper and pencil learning resources until they can transition to using Chromebooks for greater digital learning. Again, schools will reach out to parents with details early next week.
- Students enrolled in KCSD Online will continue as planned with no change in their schedules.
Chromebooks and food service
- Chromebooks for our K-3 students who do not have a device are expected to arrive soon. Because of demand, the devices have been on backorder since summer. Schools may need to reallocate Chromebooks based on family groups – siblings may need to share until all of our devices arrive.
- Food service on Dec. 1 will change to a Grab and Go Tuesday and Friday meal pickup and delivery schedule similar to this past summer. For the schedule, click here: Grab and Go Meals. Grab and Go will NOT operate from Dec. 19-Jan. 4. During this time, IYS will be offering free meals. For times and locations: IYS Food Program.
Possible return dates
To return to any form of in-person learning, the number of new cases needs to be under 68 over a two-week period and the test positivity rate needs to be less than 8%. At this time, Klamath County’s case rate is trending in the wrong direction.
When metrics allow, we will phase in the return of students to in-person instruction. Schools and students who attended in-person models in September under K-3 and rural school exceptions will return first. We will then transition in 4-12 students under our hybrid model.
Here is what we know now:
- Students who have been attending in-person under ODE’s exceptions -- K-3, SPED, Limited In-Person Instruction (LIPI), and remote, small schools -- will be out for at least two weeks. The soonest they could return would be Dec. 7. However, because of the county’s upward trend in cases, we expect they will not be able to return to in-person instruction until after winter break (Jan. 4).
- The soonest our 4-12 students in our larger and suburban schools could return to an in-person instruction model will be after winter break (Jan. 4), however, unless our case rates start to trend downward we do not expect a return for those students until late January.
We know a return to distance learning is disappointing for everyone, but together we will change direction, keep going, and succeed. Our staff is extraordinary, and we hope you join us in thanking them for providing our students a high quality education in an environment that prioritizes the health and wellness of our school communities.
Respectfully,
Glen Szymoniak
Superintendent
Klamath County School District
For more: Follow this link -- Ready Schools, Safe Learners – to see the metrics starting on page 12. For the county’s week-by-week COVID-19 case counts and metrics: Klamath_County_Covid-19_data.
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