Clark County School District students return to the classroom after a difficult year.
SEASON 4: EPISODE 4 | Airdate: 8/6/2021
It is an understatement to call the 2020-2021 school year a difficult one.
Students, teachers and parents had to endure school closures, COVID-19 mitigation mandates and distance learning.
Many families struggled with all of those challenges. Now, Clark County School District students are returning to in-person classes, five days a week, starting August 9.
Rebecca Garcia with the Nevada PTA told Nevada Week that the parents she’s spoken with are happy to have their school communities back. She said it was difficult to replicate being in physical school during distance learning.
She believes the interaction that students have in school are important for social and emotional development.
Garcia does note that many parents she has spoken with are concerned about the logistics around virus outbreaks in their schools. She said they’re not sure about how things will work if their child or children have to quarantine because of the positive tests.
Superintendent Jesus Jara told Nevada Week that the health and safety protocols that were established in the spring when students returned to the classrooms in a hybrid learning model will still be in place when students go back to class this year.
Tami Hance-Lehr is the chief executive officer for the nonprofit Communities in Schools of Nevada, which helps low-income students in Clark County schools. During the pandemic, Communities in Schools helped get students digital devices and an internet connection, among other resources.
Hance-Lehr said schools provide more than just education they offer a way for students to connect to resources that they may not be getting at home. She is happy that schools are reopening so low-income students can better access some of the resources that her group offers.
April Corbin-Girnus is a reporter for the Nevada Current. She covers education in her reporting. She said last year was mostly just putting out fires for educators and parents, but now, as more people get vaccinated and school returns to full-time learning, she is happy to see other educational agenda items take center stage.
The CCSD school board recently instituted new grading guidelines for students and the district is about to get millions of dollars in federal relief funds that could go towards improving education.
Superintendent Jara said he is a bit nervous about the return to school, but he is a lot less concerned about this year’s return to classrooms than he was last year. He said he is thankful for the persistence and resiliency of the district’s staff.
Jara said goals laid out by the district before the pandemic will have to be re-evaluated because they are not sure just how far behind many students are because of learning loss. He said another big concern is student mental health. While academics can be measured, it is difficult to know just how serious the emotional scars left by the difficult year are.
