Antioch, Knightsen push back start of school year as COVID-19 cases surge - East Bay Times

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Antioch has pushed back the start of the school year by nearly a month in an effort to deal with the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Contra Costa County.

The Antioch Unified School District unanimously approved the switch to a traditional school schedule with a Sept. 1 start during a meeting Wednesday night.

Under the plan, all parents will be offered the option of starting their students’ school year in full-distance learning, or if health conditions allow, on a hybrid in-person/distance learning schedule, according to Antioch Superintendent Stephanie Anello.

On the same night, nearby Knightsen School District, which serves K-8 students, also pushed back its start date, but only by one week, to Aug. 3. And, while Antioch agreed to look to a hybrid online/in-person schedule when classes resume, Knightsen will start with full-distance learning.

Anello said that she understood that changing Antioch’s calendar may be difficult for some, but she asked for the move “out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our students and staff.”

Anello explained her reasons in a letter to parents sent that same day.

“At this time, we are hopeful that the trajectory of the virus may begin to wane by Sept. 1, so that we may be able to provide parents with the choice of in-person learning as well as distance learning,” Anello said.

The superintendent said the district will further connect with parents through webinars in the next few weeks to answer questions and hear more parent input about what school would look like in the fall.

State guidelines released in June called for schools to offer in-person learning as much as possible, depending on local health orders. But Contra Costa County health officials later postponed opening additional business sectors because of the recent sharp rise in community spread and hospitalizations.

Though the handful of residents who commented split on the return date, none advocated an early return to in-person or hybrid classes.

Teacher Elizabeth Terry staff said that though she understands the value of in-person teaching, she thinks returning to the classroom during the pandemic presents “a dangerous situation for staff, students and by extension the students’ families.”

“If it isn’t safe to eat inside a bar, why on earth would it be OK to be with students all day?” she asked. “Therefore, what you are essentially asking us to do is to choose between our jobs and our lives. This is a choice none of us should be asked to make.”

Marie Calderon, however, pushed for the normal Aug. 4 start date, noting there are other types of concerns, such as physical, sexual  and mental abuse that could stem from sheltering in place.

“We must begin the work now that needs to be done,” she said, adding schools should begin with distance learning but change the format if the threat of COVID-19 dissipates.

Others suggested the district stay in line with neighboring districts such as Brentwood and Oakley, which opted to keep their origins start dates but begin with distance learning,

“Possibly starting with a hybrid in September is not in line with our neighboring districts,” Donna Cummings said. “We need to err on the side of caution like our neighboring districts. We are in the same county — let’s all get on the same page.”

“As much as I really need my kids back in school, the climbing number of cases seems too risky,” parent Natayah Smith added. “If all the kids go back to school isn’t it extremely possible that it could jump-start the second wave tremendously? I agree with 100-percent distance learning….I don’t want Antioch students being used as guinea pigs for a second wave.”

But Antioch Deputy Superintendent Jessica Romeo told the board a committee had looked at various scenarios and “overwhelmingly chose” the Sept.1 return-to-school date, as did the teachers’ union in a vote this week. And with no discussion, the board unanimously approved the change.

Meanwhile, in Knightsen, the board similarly heard a number of comments from residents and teachers who wanted to hold off on in-person learning though some expressed concerns about their students falling behind in school.

“We all want to return to normal but there’s nothing normal about this — we are only six months into this and we are nowhere near done with this,” Knightsen Superintendent Harvey Yirkovich said, noting the nature of the virus is changing daily.

“There is no good solution,” he added, calling his decision to recommend distance learning an “agonizing” one.

Yirkovich presented the board with a detailed plan of splitting students into an AM/PM daily class schedule with social distancing measures that could be used when the trustees deemed it safe to reopen schools.

“Given these numbers, I don’t know that I could support bringing people back to school now,” he said. “Right now there’s just too much risk involved. …We begin the year on distance learning, and once it levels off, we welcome the kids back.”

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