Winters students returned to campuses on Monday in the modified five-day a week, in-person learning model to finish out the current school year. On April 21 the Board of Trustees unanimously approved to modify the current hybrid learning model and have students back to school full time in person. Long-Term Distance Learning will continue to be an option for families in accordance with the state’s reopening plans. Winters Joint Unified School District Superintendent Diana Jiménez first presented the plan to return to a full-in person instruction model at the April 15 school board meeting. At the meeting Waggoner Elementary staff expressed concerns regarding the heavy life of preparing lessons for and teaching both in-person and distance learning students, as well as mental wellness of staff. Jiménez updated that in response to the concerns the school district had made some new hires of additional certificated staff, and reallocation of current certificated staff. Winters JUSD also worked to make new adjustments to provide additional hours for instructional aides and for custodial staff. The school district had also arranged for a moving company to help rearrange classrooms and move desks on Friday, April 23 to plan for students to return to campus on Monday, April 26. Jiménez presented Winters JUSD’s safety mitigation layers to make efforts to prevent the spread of COVID on campus included:
- Ensure COVID protocols are in place, as per Cal-OSHA and California Department of Public Health guidelines, by having a district COVID Safety Plan and school site COVID safety plans in place.
- Defined processes for notification, quarantine and contact tracing for a positive exposure.
- Plexiglass dividers in classrooms.
- Face coverings required.
- Distancing markers and making appropriate space between desks and individuals.
- Air purifiers present on sites and in school buses.
- Set HVAC Systems to have maximum air flow.
- Vaccine offered to 100 percent of staff who chose to get it.
- Began staff COVID testing occurring every two weeks (as of April 9).
Other business actions Trustees also unanimously approved: – An addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Winters JUSD and associations Winters Area Education Association (WAEA) and Winters Area Pupil Personnel Services Unit (WAPPSU) regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and school opening during the 2020-21 school year. -The MOU between WAEA and Winters JUSD regarding an increase in pay for summer school teachers for the Summer 2021 session. – A $8,640 stipend for the 2021 Summer School Administrator.
