After one-full year in distance learning, all K-8 students enrolled in the Byron, Knightsen, and Brentwood public school districts, along with secondary students in the Liberty Union High School District, are able to return to their school for an in-person education this month.
The plans rest upon the presumption that the current state mandate tier will fall from purple to red status in the days ahead. Students will return in a variety of different hybrid formats, depending on their school and grade-level, while some have opted to remain in distance learning through the last eight weeks of the instruction calendar.
Knightsen and Old River schools recently welcomed students back and some local private schools have offered in-person education for some time, such as AGC School in Discovery Bay. The small, PreK-6 school has been in person since June of 2020 without incident. Private secondary schools, such as St. Mary’s, De La Salle and Carondalet, have also provided successful, in-person education options for Far East County students.
LUHSD superintendent, Eric Volta, notified families of reopening plans in a March 5 broadcast e-mail:
“It has been nearly a year of shut-downs, distance learning, zoom classes and uncertainty. I want to thank you all for your patience, flexibility, and foremost support of our schools as we tried to implement an educational system that was thrust upon us by the pandemic… [March] 16th is the one-year anniversary of the California Shelter in Place Order. One year is too long to be out of the classroom. This is a historical and momentous event in LUHSD’s history of nearly five score. I am honored to share this reopening with all of you.”
Byron Union Superintendent, Reyes Gauna, announced the reopening of local, K-8 schools in his February 11 email,:
“With the support and in collaboration with our Teachers union (BTA), Classified union (CSEA), Administrators, district staff, and Board of Trustees, we are excited to announce our plan to have students return to in-person instruction.”
Byron USD reopening plans and schedule can be found at www.byron.k12.ca.us
LUHSD hybrid and safety plans are available at: www.luhsd.net
