SANTA MONICA— The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has outlined three models of school operation for next year.
The district will hold three town halls during the next few days to inform and discuss with parents and guardians about the school return.
The town halls on June 30 and July 1 will be for Santa Monica elementary and secondary schools, respectively. A July 7 town hall will be for parents and guardians whose children attend schools in Malibu. The district’s board will meet on July 16 to settle on one of the models proposed.
The district has set three different models for next year’s operation — models “A”, “B”, and “C”.
In model “A” all students would return to in-class, five days a week. Families “who do not want in-class instruction can opt for distance learning only.” Teachers would be providing instruction either in-person or virtually.
Model “B” calls for a hybrid alternative. All students would be split into two cohorts, “A” and “B”, and would “alternate in-class and asynchronous distance learning experiences by days or weeks.” Distance learning only is also available in this model.
In model “C” all students would participate only in distance learning — no in-person classes. Besides being the least expensive model, “some specific programs can be served in-person, potentially including arts, labs, athletics, and specific special ed programs.”
The district also notes that due to the “fluidity of the COVID-19 situation, we might need to start school under one model and move to another.”
The outlined plans for each model provide specific details about how school sectors would operate. In model “A” the cafeteria could limit the number of students at a time, with others eating outdoors or in classrooms; The “B” model would limit the number of students in the classroom to 12-15; and model “C” would “dramatically limit COVID-19 exposure among students.”
The public can submit questions prior to the town hall by filling an online form.
