Gilroy Unified School District will continue distance learning until at least January, Superintendent Deborah Flores reported Oct. 15.
On Oct. 13, Santa Clara County moved into the Orange Tier of the state’s Covid-19 monitoring system, which allows schools to reopen to in-person instruction. School districts must also meet the reopening requirements by the Santa Clara County Office of Education and the Public Health Department.
In a letter to parents, Flores said the district’s Reopening Planning Committee has reconvened, and will continue to meet regularly until it is ready to make a recommendation on if schools should reopen for the 2020-21 school year. A final decision will be made by the Board of Education.
According to Flores, the committee is comprised of more than 30 staff members from all three bargaining units, district leadership, union leadership, teachers, staff members and parents.
Flores said she will provide an update to the board in January.
“Until then and until a decision is made at the board level, our schools will continue in distance learning just as districts in our county are doing with a few exceptions, and most public school districts in California are doing as well,” she said. “These considerations will always be made to ensure the health and safety of every member of our school communities, even though so many of us want to return to normal, including in-person learning.”
A survey about distance learning and reopening schools that recently circulated to students, parents and district staff received more than 15,000 responses, according to Flores. The results of the survey will be shared in the near future.
