The Palm Springs Unified School District is holding a series of online town hall meetings discussing the plan for reopening schools. The goal is to provide a brief overview of the current reopening plan, with a live question and answer portion.
The California Department of Public Health along with The California Department of Education has recently released a guide on how schools can begin planning to reopen. Locally, school districts are learning what these guidelines are and how to apply them to their schools.
The Palm Springs Unified School District plans on starting school in early August and is hosting a series of town hall meetings to get input from the community. Earlier this month The California School Board Association released its own report addressing questions on planning and funding.
“Districts are now trying to figure out how do they make an educational design that works within those health guidelines,” said Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, President of the California School Boards Association.
In the first town hall meeting, they presented four potential instructional models and addressed questions about students wearing masks.
“The guidance that we’ve received from the county department of public health, now the California Department of Public health is indeed that masks are required in public settings and that is is one of the best protectors of human health in this situation. We hope to have other options for families or students who don’t want to wear masks or cant,” said Dr. Sandra Lyon, Superintendent of Palm Springs Unified School District.
Imari Kariotis is a parent to a seventh grader and is concerned about PPE and its availability to schools.
“I do in-home healthcare and we had a problem for three months getting PPE protection equipment for us, I don’t know where they got this stockpile or how they plan on getting it, I don’t see it happening, explained Imari Kariotis, Parent and Salton City Resident.
Superintendent Lyon says California schools will be receiving masks from the state but PSUSD will also be purchasing other PPE equipment. While plans are still being put in place, all school districts will be presenting a proposal to the Board of Education on July 7th.
Palms Springs Unified will host a town hall in Spanish on Friday, make sure to check with your child’s school district to see when they will be holding their town hall for the most up to date information.
