PVPUSD School Board Shares Updates For Schools Reopening

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — There are a few weeks left until summer ends and staff members are working around the clock to get ready for school to start this fall in the Peninsula.

District Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss shared an update for parents, students and staff during a meeting Wednesday night.

“We are making great progress and we have a lot of positive news to report to the school board and the community," Cherniss said. “We have finalized the parent opt-in for the distance learning academy. We have currently approximately about 25 percent of our families have opted in for the distance learning academy this year."

There are two proposed models for students returning to PVPUSD schools—distance learning and hybrid.

"The majority of teachers will be able to have those assignments," Cherniss said. "We have about three quarters, about 75 percent of families have opted for the hybrid program, which will begin remotely."

The school year will begin on August 26 for PVPUSD students. So far, the challenge is scheduling, officials said.

"One of the constraints that we’re faced with is trying to schedule all of our students," Cherniss said.

About one-quarter of parents opted for students to take on distance learning, three quarters requested hybrid and not distance learning. Right now, the district is working to accommodate students and staffing with different schedules and schools.

"If PV High School is on a different schedule, then those teachers are not able to teach in the distance learning academy," Cherniss described. "Peninsula teachers do have a schedule that is concurrent with the distance learning academy."

“As soon as we go back to a normal year we’ll have a block schedule at PV High. Just know that we’re not neglecting our PV High students or teachers, we’re just recognizing the importance of the block [schedule],” Cherniss said.

"So many people have different needs," Cherniss said. "We have families that want to go back to school, we have families that want to stay home."

Three high school programs are currently on different schedules, he added.

The district Is investing in teachers, including training for teachers. Parents are also asking for training, Cherniss said.

The school board hopes to have more information about scheduling by next week.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced it will not consider in-person learning waivers for schools at this time due to new guidance from the California Department of Public Health, which recommends that counties with case rates at or above 200 cases per 100,000 residents do not extend waivers for the reopening of classroom instruction for students in grades TK-6.

To learn more about the district's reopening plan for fall, visit the website to see the different learning models planned for 2020-2021 school year so far.

Watch the full school board meeting:

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