District completes final safe school reopening plan review

The Carson City School District has completed its final review for its safe school reopening plan the Nevada Department of Education mandated to keep schools operational after the pandemic.

The “Plan for a Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity for the 2023-24 School Year” only needed changes in dates for this closing revision to obtain the last round of American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding to keep schools functional while they were closed or in hybrid operations through COVID-19, according to CCSD associate superintendent Tasha Fuson during the school board’s May 23 meeting.

The document first was posted on the district’s website in 2021 after its development with the community. It since has undergone frequent updates and revisions with local stakeholders to ensure it has followed the public health recommendations provided by the government.

Carson City’s services generally will remain unaffected in this next school calendar year, Fuson said, although one change to online education has been made. Full-time remote availability previously was made for first through 12th graders who will continue. This did not warrant paying for a full-time teacher. Administrators are working with Florida Virtual School to accommodate the two families but will not enroll new families at the elementary level, Fuson said.

“We will continue to provide full-time online for sixth to 12th grade at Pioneer Academy,” Fuson said.

Trustee Lupe Ramirez asked about adding a statement addressing excused absences, following up on earlier concerns about students who might be lacking credits and any impact on participation in graduation ceremonies. But board president Laurel Crossman said it didn’t seem to be appropriate to add such language to the plan to satisfy the ESSER requirements and the board’s own policies and regulations on attendance are better suited to address student attendance and excused absences.

“We would, of course, have to have proper documentation,” Crossman said.

The item on the safe school reopening plan was for discussion only.