July 27, 2020 - On Monday, Jeff Aranguena, Mariposa County Unified School District Superintendent released a message to the school community on Fall reopening of schools. Scroll down for last Thursday's Facebook Live Meeting frequently asked questions and answers.
July 27, 2020
Dear Mariposa School Community,
July 17th’s announcement by Gov. Gavin Newsom represented a momentous shift from local school district ability to make decisions at the local level regarding our 
reopening efforts, to statewide mandates in an effort to mitigate the increase in COVID-19 cases statewide. Under the Governor’s mandate and metrics, all districts must provide an option for distance learning, if local conditions call for campuses to close. This directive is the first step in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) setting the criteria for reopening and operating schools under COVID-19.
With the best state and local health guidance available in order to prioritize student health and safety, our school board voted to begin the 2020-21 school year under a distance learning model, which provided flexibility for cohorts of in person instruction, on a case by case basis.
Although the new directives provided by the Governor and CDPH provide guidance and mandates for when a school or district must close its campuses, both the Governor and CDPH have not provided mandates and metrics for when it is safe to reopen.
MCUSD/MCOE needs this level of detailed guidance in order to provide the students, families, and staff they serve with the reassurance that clear safety protocols are in place to protect their health. Until we have that guidance, we are left here at the local level to make those determinations.
These new directives are extremely helpful, yet they have created more confusion and frustration, especially considering the new distance learning obligations school districts now have to adopt, with less than a month before school starts. Our school community will need to continue to be flexible and creative, while making adjustments based on changing conditions.
Mariposa County is currently not on the state watch list, but that could change at a moment's notice. Our schools will begin the school year in the distance learning model, while preparing to review local conditions and work to phase into a blended model, when conditions allow, followed by phasing into a traditional model.
Based on the new guidance, if a county is on the watchlist, all schools must remain in distance learning at least until their county has been off the state’s watch list for 14 days. This is consistent with the direction that most school districts across the state are planning to take, especially as case numbers continue to rise.
This guidance also addresses the wearing of face coverings, social distancing, increased hygiene practices and cleaning, as well as rules for operating transportation and sports programming. You can find the Guidance for Schools and School-Based Programs at the COVID-19 website at https://covid19.ca.gov/industry-guidance/,
MCUSD/MCOE will continue to work closely with local leaders and our public health department to interpret these directives and metrics and how they impact the plans our schools have been diligently creating this summer. Additionally, our team will work with our public health partners to navigate new testing and contact tracing guidelines to ensure students and staff can be on campus safely.
Our team continues to work collaboratively, step by step to address each and every new mandate and concern. MCUSD/MCOE will work to provide professional development and other support to assist our school community in building robust distance learning options for all students. Mariposa County schools are committed to serving families with high-quality instruction and support, regardless of the current conditions under COVID-19. You can expect to receive more information as our local details are planned and prepared.
I thank our school leaders and staff, as well as our parents and students, for their flexibility and understanding during these incredibly demanding, uncertain, and extraordinary times.
Warm regards,
Jeff Aranguena
Superintendent
Mariposa County Unified School District
Mariposa County Office of Education
Source: MCUSD
Last Thursday's Facebook Live Meeting frequently asked questions and answers.
Source: MCUSD
