SRVUSD Gives Timeline For In-Person Schooling; Students Protest

SAN RAMON VALLEY, CA — The San Ramon Valley Unified School District plans to reopen its doors to students Jan. 5.

Should conditions allow it, students may be able to return to full-time instruction soon after returning, Superintendent John Malloy said in a video addressing the SRVUSD community.

That's not soon enough for some, including a group of more than a dozen students who staged a sit-in Monday at the SRVUSD office, KGO reported. Demonstrators called for the immediate return of students to classrooms.

Malloy spoke with the demonstrators and explained the district's plans, the station reported.

Students who return to in-person instruction will initially be placed into a hybrid learning model, while students who wish to continue with remote learning can still do so, according to the district. Families will have from Nov. 13 to Nov. 20 to formally declare their choices for 2021.

Some students with unique needs will be able to return in the weeks to come, according to the district's timeline. Special education students in intensive classes and preschoolers may start to return to campus on Oct. 27. Special education students in mild and moderate classes, infants and adult transition students may return Nov. 17.

Malloy acknowledged that not all parents have been pleased with the district's reopening plan thus far. He apologized to parents who feel students should be able to return more quickly, but stressed that the district could not reopen until it has ensured that classroom conditions would be safe and effective for students.

"We are hearing you, we are working hard for your students," Malloy said. "We trust that we will get to a good place, as long as we do it together."

Some have wondered why schools can't reopen sooner with desks spaced farther apart, he said. Malloy said schools must keep groups small and stable while ensuring all are masked and socially distanced.

The district is trying to make the hybrid model as close to normal school operations as possible, he said.

Others have voiced concerns about possible interruptions when it comes to teachers and schedules. Malloy said the district is working hard to minimize any interruptions, but could not promise that things would remain the same.

SRVUSD recognizes the importance of a student's relationship to their teacher and classmates, he said.

Soon, Malloy said he hopes to host conversations with smaller groups of parents to discuss the issues at hand. He will group parents by those who have not decided what they would like to do, parents who wish to continue with remote learning and parents who wish to have their students return to school now.

"As we work together to get to this place where real choice is possible, we need everybody," he said.