Szymoniak announces options for county schools this fall
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KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - In a letter written to Klamath County School District families, KCSD Superintendent, Glen Szymoniak announces options for county schools this fall.
“There is not a one size fits all answer for the district,” said Szymoniak.
Klamath County and the state as a whole have not met the health metrics for returning to the classroom as established by state officials. However, there are exceptions to the metrics that will allow some students to return to the classroom. These exceptions are based on less stringent county health metrics. Metrics at which Klamath County currently meets.
As the 2020-21 school year begins the majority of county school students will start with the states’ Comprehensive Distance Learning Model. While some students will be in an AA-BB rotation. As an alternative, families do have the ability to enroll in KCSD Online or with the Great Basin Homeschool Center.
Student groups that will begin the year with the Comprehensive Distance Learning Model include:
4th-7th grade students at Henley, Ferguson, Shasta, Stearns, and Peterson Elementary.
7th -12th grade students at Brixner Junior High, Henley Middle, Henley High, Mazama High, and Falcon Heights.
K-12th grade students at Chiloquin Schools.
Students with disabilities: These students will receive limited on-site specially designed instruction four days per week. District case managers/coordinators will contact families by Sept. 4.
Student groups that will be attending school in person under an “exception” allowance include:
K-3 students: (All KCSD elementary schools, except Chiloquin Elementary.) These students will attend school two days a week and learn at home three days a week. (Chiloquin schools have selected to continue with distance learning at this time.)
All rural schools with 250 students or less: (Keno, Lost River, Malin, Merrill, Bonanza, Gearhart, and Gilchrist.) These students will attend school two days a week and learn at home three days a week.
Students with disabilities: These students will receive limited on-site specially designed instruction four days per week. District case managers/coordinators will contact families by Sept. 4.
KCSD will implement a soft start to the school year on August 31. The soft-start will allow schools to contact families to schedule times to pick up Chromebooks for students, training times for the new devices and Schoolology, the district’s distance learning software.
Instruction will begin on September 8 and will be the official first student instruction day.
All county students will be able to receive free meals through the Grab-and-go program.
“Thank you for your patience. We are excited to see our students in a few weeks, whether they enter our classrooms virtually or in person,” said Szymoniak.
Please reference the letter below for further detailed information. If you still have questions the district has also created a FAQ page.
Dear KCSD families,
The district has been monitoring the state and county health metrics and holding out for favorable data to bring students back to school. If both state and county were to meet those metrics, we would be able to return to In-Person Instruction. If not, we would need to follow the Comprehensive Distance Learning Model. Unfortunately, both the state and county did not meet the required metrics for in-person instruction.
Klamath County School District will start the year under the state’s Comprehensive Distance Learning Model. This means some of our students will begin the school year learning at home, participating in online instruction with their classroom teachers. For families who have enrolled in our homeschool or online options, you will receive information from those programs. This message is for those wanting to return to school.
Comprehensive Distance Learning
This learning model has become complicated with new changes from the Oregon Department of Education. To best understand this model, let’s begin by stating that students will learn from home with their classroom teachers delivering instruction. However, there are exceptions based on a county’s health metrics. Klamath County’s health metrics at this time will allow us to bring back certain groups of students to school under strict conditions. Our county has met the “exception” metrics for two weeks in a row and likely will this week as well. Because of this, our current plan is not a one-size-fits-all.
The following student groups will start the school year with comprehensive distance learning at home with their classroom teachers:
4th-6th students at Henley, Ferguson, Shasta, Stearns, and Peterson Elementary
7th -12th students at Brixner Junior High, Henley Middle, Henley High, Mazama High, and Falcon Heights.
K-12th students at Chiloquin Schools.
Students with disabilities: These students will receive limited on-site specially designed instruction four days per week. District case managers/coordinators will contact families by Sept. 4.
The following student groups will start the school year attending school in person under the allowance for “exceptions.”
Exceptions (These allow certain groups of students to attend school in person) Students who return to school will follow the hybrid AA-BB learning model.
K-3 students: (All KCSD elementary schools, except Chiloquin Elementary.) These students will attend school two days a week and learn at home three days a week. (Chiloquin schools have selected to continue with distance learning at this time.)
All rural schools with 250 students or less: (Keno, Lost River, Malin, Merrill, Bonanza, Gearhart, and Gilchrist.) These students will attend school two days a week and learn at home three days a week.
Students with disabilities: These students will receive limited on-site specially designed instruction four days per week. District case managers/coordinators will contact families by Sept. 4.
The district will follow the Comprehensive Distance Learning Model and take advantage of the allowable exceptions until Oct. 9. We will monitor the metrics and announce our plans on how we will continue after Oct. 9 by Sept. 25.
Hybrid AA-BB Cohort Requests
Students will be assigned by their schools to AA and BB cohorts. AA cohorts attend school in-person Monday-Tuesday. BB cohorts attend in-person Wednesday-Thursday. If you want to request a specific cohort, please call your school. We cannot guarantee your requested cohort, but will do our best to accommodate you.
Back-to-School Dates
KCSD will implement a soft start to the school year Aug. 31, with instruction for students beginning on Sept. 8. Here’s how that will look:
Back-to-School Week -- Aug. 31-Sept. 4: Schools will contact families to set up times to pick up Chromebooks and schedule parent training sessions on the devices and on Schoology, our distance learning platform. Note: The district has ordered enough Chromebooks for every student, but due to high demand across the world, some of the order will be delayed.
First day of instruction – Tuesday, Sept. 8: Classes start on Tuesday, Sept. 8: This will be the first official student instruction day, whether distance learning or in-person hybrid. Students who are returning under the AA-BB hybrid schedule will be contacted by their school with details.
To enroll in a schooling option and update your registration:
Online: Go to www.kcsd.k12.or.us or your school website to review your options. Click on the Schooling Option Form link and follow the directions. You will need to fill out a form for each of your students. Parents need to fill out this form even if they already took a survey through their school. You will receive an email confirmation letter when you are done. To review and update your registration, use your eSchool Home Access Center on our website.
By phone or on-site by appointment: Starting Aug. 14, parents can review and update their student’s registration and fill out a schooling options form by calling their school.
Food Service
This fall, all students enrolled in the Klamath County School District (includes KCSD homeschool and online programs) will receive free meals at school and through our grab-and-go program.
Grab-and-go meal plan for distance learners:
All KCSD schools will provide free meals (three breakfasts, three lunches) from 11 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and Friday starting Sept. 1. (Our current program continues through Aug. 31.)
The district will continue to deliver grab-and-go meals on Tuesdays and Fridays to more than 40 sites around the county. Look for information about updated times and locations in late August.
Grab-and-go meal plan for onsite/hybrid students:
Grab-and-go meals for students attending school will be consumed at school. Breakfast will be picked up at the entry points of school buildings and be eaten in an area designated by the schools. Lunch will be in clear bags. Every item will be packaged. Students who eat meals at school will be in cafeterias with their cohorts (in groups of less than 50) following social distancing guidelines.
Thank you for your patience. We are excited to see our students in a few weeks, whether they enter our classrooms virtually or in person.
Sincerely,
Glen Szymoniak, Superintendent
Klamath County School District
FAQ
KCSD has created a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page for the 2020-21 school year to answer some of the common questions regarding the changes. The page can be found at https://www.smore.com/nce83.
COVID-19 Metrics
Details on the Ready Schools, Safe Learners: COVID-19 Metrics can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/DISEASESAZ/Emerging%20Respitory%20Infections/Ready-Schools-Safe-Learners-Community-COVID-19-Metrics.pdf