With county and state health restrictions and guidelines continuing to change, the Arcadia Unified School District anticipates reopening middle and high schools by April 19.
The instructional models and schedules at each school will be determined by the individual school’s leadership team. Each school’s leadership team or council consists of students, parents, teachers, and administrators. This process will be similar to the one used to create the school’s current virtual learning models.
Parent surveys have already been sent to ask parents their preference for returning to in-person instruction or remaining virtual. These survey results will help determine each school’s new in-person and virtual learning models.
More information regarding schedules will be updated on the district’s newly created “Roadmap to Reopening” website. Schedule information will also be posted on school websites when the scheduling process is complete, and parents are informed.
The district will also continue to provide a remote virtual for those students and families who would prefer that.
The district has also updated its elementary school instructional model. Based on ongoing feedback provided by stakeholders since May 2020, AUSD’s administration, principals, and members from the Arcadia Teachers Union developed three model schedules that provide the most viable options to offer both virtual and in-person instruction. Model schedules were also created with instructional minute requirements set by the California Department of Education for the 2020-21 school year.
The most recent parent interest survey was sent March 1, with results shared back to parents on March 3. A teacher survey was sent Monday, and approximately 77% of 166 teachers who responded indicated that they prefer Model 1 (simultaneous synchronous model). The committee met on March 3 and March 5 to determine the best hybrid models. The committee then met again to finalize everything, including parent communication about options. Parents will be asked to commit to one option.
In continued preparation for reopening elementary schools on April 12, AUSD has announced free after-school care for families electing to return their students to in-person instruction. The district is paying for Right at School’s after-school program as an additional support for the scheduling needs of families that select in-person learning for the remainder of this school year.
