Update From Scotts Valley Unified School District Superintendent - May 1

Press release from the Scotts Valley Unified School District:

May 1, 2020

Hello Scotts Valley Community,

Well, it’s May 1, and it’s May Day. So depending on the intonation of how one says that it could be “May Day”, or, “May Day!, May Day!”...

As we moved into the end of April, we couldn’t go without another interesting announcement or two. First, Governor Newsom announced the possibility of starting school at the end of July or the beginning of August. Please know, currently, we do not have clear parameters from the Public Health officials, nor clear parameters on State or local budgets. Additionally, we have to take into consideration the fact that we already have an agreed-upon calendar and contractual agreements with our employees. Stay tuned on this situation as we hear if there’s going to be legislative action that supersedes all other decisions. Meanwhile, we continue to work as a District team to prepare for the next school year.

Please read the weekly update from Santa Cruz County Superintendents.

Also, issued on April 30, a new update on the easing of parameters communicated by the Department of Public Health. Here is the new Santa Cruz County Health Order.

This past week, SC County High School Superintendents met with the Director of Public Health regarding options and preliminary approvals for graduation and promotion ceremonies. I am working with each respective school site to work through the options provided to us.

I am so very appreciative of the parent groups that have provided lawn signs and all who are striving to work through the many options that we are able to legally and financially provide to celebrate our seniors for their 2020 graduation. Please know, I am not able to get out in front of the Public Health Department for Santa Cruz County nor the State of California so, for all of the suggestions that have been provided to us, we have to work within those restrictive parameters.

Sincerely, thank you for your patience, understanding, and perseverance and for being supportive of your student(s) who are learning online, in addition to all of the other challenges that are coming to us all due to this COVID-19 situation.

While I know we will make it through this because we are a strong and united community, things are going to look different in the immediate future. It is my new saying, “My crystal ball is broken, into dust“, as I have no idea what the future holds for how we will conduct public education in public schools, nor the budget that we will have to operate our district. We are going to do our very best to work together to make it work for our kids. We are a strong community and we are committed to doing so.

It is May, and we are in the home stretch for this year.

Thank you for being a wonderful community,

Tanya Krause

This press release was produced by the Scotts Valley Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.