Las Virgenes Plans In-Person Graduation, Full Return Next Fall

CALABASAS, CA — The prolonged nightmare may finally be coming to an end, knock on wood. Las Virgenes Unified Superintendent Dr. Dan Stepenosky announced last week that the district intends to reopen for full-time, in-person instruction in the fall.

Stepenosky said the district is also planning for an in-person graduation ceremony in June, a modified prom, a senior picnic, and movie nights that all adhere to state and county health guidelines.

“Our Board is unanimously behind this direction and we are already deep in the planning stages of how to not only offer a full return to school but a return with expansive and equitable opportunities for our students to grow and accelerate their learning,” Stepenosky wrote in a letter to families.

Stepenosky said that the district has assembled a Strategic Planning Committee to develop a plan to use one-time state and federal grants to expand learning and social-emotional support for students and staff. Elements include targeted class size reduction, expanded summer learning, expanding K-12 school library hours, beginning of the year boost camps, extending the school year, elementary and summer counselor expansion, art and music teachers at elementary schools, professional development for teaching ELA and math, and technology and infrastructure upgrades.

The Strategic Plan will be approved at the end of May, when more details will be released.

Las Virgenes was the first public school district in the county that allowed students to return back to campus. Starting April 15, all district students have returned in morning and afternoon cohorts, spending the rest of their time learning virtually or completing self-directed, asynchronous learning.