Alpine Union School District is the first school district to move to Phase Three full opening, four days a week for in-person learning with one day of distance learning for students beginning March 15. Serving approximately 1,560 elementary and middle school students in grades K-8, AUSD Superintendent Dr. Richard Newman said the district has taken a direct focus from the beginning of the pandemic and is “extremely proud” that its schools have been opened for 19 consecutive weeks with hybrid in-person learning without a closure.
In its hybrid model, which began in September 2020, students attended school in-person two days a week and have two days of distanced learning, allowing the district to halve the number of students at one time and ensuring social distancing. Since September, Newman said that there were zero COVID-19 outbreaks, but that they have had COVID-19 cases and they are reported directly to San Diego County Public Health.
“We have had 23 staff and 22 student COVID cases in 19 weeks,” he said. “Those were not all cases that came from campus, but also individuals in distance learning.”
Newman said 83% of its students are enrolled for attending in person and that he expects that number to grow. March 5 is the deadline for enrolling for full time in-person learning.
Newman said all safety protocols are in place, with upgraded ventilation systems, regular testing of staff, students and the community, strong safety, and contact tracing and mitigation protocols. He said the district will still offer distance learning option, along with its independent program and home school. Its plan provides options for parents who would prefer not to return to school at this time.
“This is a good story,” said Newman. “We have been ahead of the curve for the whole year. We have been very proactive in our plans. We were first to come to an agreement with our unions, the first to open, the first plan, the first waiver in the county, so we are proud that we are doing everything in getting our students back on campus. We live it every day. I call it the small but mighty school district.”
Newman said its plan is being used as a model for other districts.
“In part, because we have been open 19 weeks straight so far and we have been successful. I am enormously proud of our staff,” he said. “I think that students coming back is going to be glorious. It is rekindling connections with friends, with staff teaching all their students. I even get a little emotional thinking about it. It is a year too long without everybody.”
Newman said he hopes to move to five days a week by the end of the year.
“We took a measured approach,” he said. “We did not want to be like other districts that open and close. That Wednesday is our measured approach as we do electrostatic deep cleaning twice a week, every Friday and Wednesday. As we bring more students back on, we want to once again set a model. Let’s get open and stay open.”
Newman said they will have indoor and outdoor learning for students to create as much space as possible. He said students will go to lunch, go to recess, they will play with fellow students in their cohort. They will not mix cohorts. And it will serve lunch on campus.
“We want to make it safe as possible and a normal school experience for our students,” he said. “I always say the first day of school is the happiest of the year, happier than Christmas, or the holidays because every parent and student is hoping that this is the perfect year for them where they will make friends, be successful and learn. I believe that this will top it. This will be the day we all remember. When we all came back.”
Newman said there will be health and safety checks when students walk on campus and into the classrooms. Everybody’s temperature will continue to be taken, there is hand sanitizer at every opening and frequent handwashing.
Newman said when the district closed on March 16 with all the other schools, AUSD had its plan in place by March 16. It began offering Chromebooks to all students, digital and in-person packets, free Verizon hotspots for its families, and it grab and go meals for breakfast and lunch.
“We had such a food scarcity in our community that it was surprising,” said Newman. “We had miles of lines. We have continued to offer free grab and go meals, breakfast and lunch since March for now a full year. We have also offered them to Viejas and some of the other preschools as well. When we closed, the Board and myself made the commitment that we would not just be responsive to the educational needs, but we would be responsive to the community as a whole.”
Newman said the district made many “firsts” this year, both in the county and the state.
“We are the very first district in the state to launch learning pods to provide an opportunity for parents to go to work, having one parent watching their kids during distance learning on our campuses,” he said. “We were the first district to offer COVID-19 testing for our staff, beginning in September 2020. Twice a month at our school, our drive thru with CalFire to get tested and that has continued here. We are now offering testing not only to our staff, but our students and to the community as well. Do date, we are the only district in the state to fully vaccinate our staff with 90% of staff receiving their second vaccine last week. That included our staff and substitutes that work for us.”
Newman said it was important, not only for the safety of its staff, but also for the peace of mind in getting staff vaccinated. In January, the District began vaccinating more than 200 staff members, including teachers and substitutes. “We are honored that Southern Indian Health Council helped, and worked closely with us,” he said. “With the testing completed, while it is two weeks after that you are considered fully immunized, we took a measured approach and are opening up four weeks after completion of the vaccines.”
Newman said the County had nothing to do with its ability to get vaccines, as teachers have not been eligible for vaccines distributed by the County yet.
“Our vaccines went directly through Southern Indian because they are a sovereign nation,” he said. “They got the vaccines directly from the federal government.”
Newman said the district worked hard on all its plans to get students back into the classroom full time.
“I truly believe that we have put into place very strong protocols, we do our testing, electrostatic and deep cleaning twice a week,” he said. “We have hired additional custodians. We have doubled our custodial staff. We have an outside janitorial staff to provide additional staff when necessary and we will provide monthly training to our custodians.”
In the opening plan, all sites will design learning spaces with social distancing, including extending the classroom outdoors. Student spaces are arranged for maximum physical spacing, flexible plastic partitions, and teacher and staff desks distanced six feet from students. Protocols are set for student traveling by bus and all students will be monitored for COVID-19 symptoms before entering school.
On Feb. 1, the District approved a memorandum of understanding from the AUSD with the Alpine Teachers Association and its Chapter 607 California School Employees Association regarding the approval of the District’s plan for reopening schools.
