Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Nederland. Dr. Rob Anderson and his team made their recommendations on how to start the 2020-2021 school year to the Boulder Valley School District Board of Education on July 21, 2020, via a Zoom meeting.

BVSD, like all other school districts, is working tirelessly to come up with a reintroduction plan. These are very difficult and detailed decisions having to do with face shields for teachers and transportation for kids. No plan is going to please everyone. 

While presenting to the board Dr. Anderson said that one of the biggest challenges is having people be safe and feel safe. He had hoped some time ago to be able to open the schools in Phase Four of the Back Together BVSD plan. However, at this time he is recommending Phase 3. Dr. Anderson also made the point that BVSD will likely go through different phases in the next 12 to 24 months. And with school still a month out things could change. 

Please, be very clear that at this time, July 21, 2020, the school board has not voted on this plan. They still have questions that need to be answered and will be voting on it soon. 

Executive Directors from Boulder and Broomfield Public Health were also on the meeting to inform the board of the current situation and how closely they have been working the BVSD. 

In Phase 3 is a hybrid of sorts where there will be on-line learning and some in-person learning, if a family decides to do that. There will be school specific plans for each building. Elementary and secondary schools will look a little differently but in this phase students would not attend school on Mondays. This would be a day for teachers to prepare, and of course there will be constant cleaning. Students would then attend school either Tuesday/Wednesday or Thursday/Friday. Students will be grouped in a cohort. If there are siblings they would be in the same cohort. 

Everyone will be required to wear a mask and desks will be socially distanced. Teachers will be encouraged to spend time teaching outside when possible. Students will not share supplies like they have in the past and there will be staggered movement in all buildings. 

Transportation of students is another huge challenge. There will be more information on this forthcoming. There will be students who have priority. Parents will have to opt-in for transportation. Again, more information will be coming on this subject. BVSD leadership hopes anyone who can bike or walk will do so. 

There were several comments and questions about how to keep teachers and staff safe. Are there enough long term substitutes for the staff who can not return to school because of health issues? Not all of these questions can be answered today. The district leadership is doing their best to be proactive and communicate with the Boulder Valley Education Association. 

Public health officials are keeping a very close look at the data, how Covid affects children and decisions will be based on accurate information. Public health officials encourage parents to get kids used to wearing a mask and share with them why this is important. 

Dr. Anderson also recommends to the school board that the first day of school be pushed to August 26, one week later than previously planned. Again, please know and understand that the Boulder Valley School District Board has not approved this plan yet. This is the recommendation from district leadership. The board must still vote and they still have questions they want answered. An exact date was not given on when the vote will take place.

The next BVSD Board meeting will take place on August 11, 2020, although the board will likely meet prior to that date, with more information for parents and school staff as soon as possible. 

All regular board meetings are on Zoom currently and the public can listen to the conversations. Go to bvsd.org/departments/communications/bv22 to live stream the meetings.

(Originally published in the July 23, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)