Dublin Schools Continue To Work Toward Reopening

Pleasanton CA

18 November, 2020

4:37 PM

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DUBLIN, CA — School officials in Dublin and across Tri-Valley have reassured families that they continue to work on reopening plans in the wake of Alameda County's return to the most-restrictive tier. Dublin Unified School District Superintendent Daniel R. Moirao said in a letter to parents Tuesday that the return to the purple tier was disheartening, but will not hinder DUSD's planning efforts geared at offering hybrid learning as early as Jan. 19 for elementary students. "Although our timeline is now dependent on the county moving out of the purple tier, we are hopeful that if we continue to keep our preparation in high gear, we will be ready to move forward with our hybrid-learning plans once that is a possibility," Moirao said. The purple "widespread risk" tier is the most restrictive tier of the state's four-tiered, color-coded COVID-19 risk system. A county must remain in the second-most restrictive red "substantial risk" tier for 14 days before schools can reopen to students. If a school opens while a county is in the red tier or better, it may remain open when the county returns to the purple tier. Mountain House Elementary School District, which has 16 students, is the only public school district that remains open in Alameda County, said county Office of Education spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald. Even closed schools in purple tier counties may still offer cohorts, or stable groups of up to 14 students that offer targeted support to those who are struggling. Cohorts are not intended for general education students, but school districts have some leeway in determining who its highest-need students are, said Smith McDonald. It could be students who are learning English or enrolled in special education programs. "We've been living in a whirlwind and I understand how stressful it is to know that everything is subject to change. Uncertainty weighs heavily on all of us," Moirao wrote. "I feel the anxiety from all of our staff, students, and families and want to let you know we will be OK. No matter how tough this has been, we are tougher. We will make it through this unpredictable time — together and as one community." Alameda County Superintendent of Schools L. Karen Monroe said in a statement Monday that the Office of Education will put all of its resources toward supporting schools in their efforts to plan for reopening in the future. "As a county, state and nation, we clearly have some challenging days ahead, but there are signs of progress in fighting this virus and I am hopeful that the new year will bring with it an opportunity to be together, to learn and spend time with one another in person again," she said. "In the meantime, our collective commitment to our children and communities will sustain us." See which Alameda County schools have reopened to serve students in person here.