Regional

The Reopening of Nevada County Schools

by Nevada County Superintendent of Schools Office June 17, 2020June 17, 2020

June 17, 2020 – Dear students, parents / guardians, and community members:

Thank you for your unwavering support for Nevada County school districts and charter schools. We are excited to announce that Nevada County public schools are planning to open in August on their regularly scheduled start dates. We are committed to reopening our schools, programs, and activities as soon as possible, but in a manner that ensures students, families, and school staff are safe.

The reopening of our schools will be a gradual process that will take place throughout the 2020-21 school year. When we return in August, our schedules and instructional programs will look very different to what we are all used to seeing. Strategies and plans for reopening will be dependent on state and county health and safety guidance.

School administrators and staff are holding weekly meetings to develop plans for August. The goal is to provide as much weekly contact for students with their classroom teachers as possible. These plans range from two to five days a week of student attendance. It is important that these plans be coordinated between elementary and high schools to cause the least amount of disruption to parents.

The health and safety of our communities, students, and staff are our top priority. We recognize that our students need effective teaching and on-campus extra-curricular experiences, but those must be balanced against broader health and safety concerns. Therefore, our reopening strategies will correspond with public health guidelines at the start of the school year. We are working closely with the Nevada County Public Health Department in the development of such guidelines.

Over the next 10 weeks, school districts and charter schools will issue communications and guidance to students, parents / guardians, and their respective communities regarding their reopening plans and strategies. We are committed to reopening Nevada County’s public schools to offer the very best educational services and experiences for our community’s students and families.

We are excited to welcome our students and families back next school year. Please contact any one of us or our districts / schools for further information or questions about the 2020-21 school year.

Scott W. Lay, Nevada County Superintendent of Schools

Jonathan Molnar, Bitney Prep High School

Katie Kohler, Chicago Park Elementary School

Carolyn Cramer, Clear Creek Elementary School

Peter Sagebiel, Forest Charter School

Eric Fredrickson, Grass Valley School District

Monica Daugherty, Nevada City School District

Holly Pettitt, Nevada City School of the Arts

Brett McFadden, Nevada Joint Union High School District

Torie Gibson, Penn Valley Union Elementary School District

Rusty Clark, Pleasant Ridge Union School District

Erica Crane, Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning