Livermore Schools Adapt As County Calls For Distance Learning

LIVERMORE, CA — Schools in Livermore and across Tri-Valley are readying themselves to continue distance learning in the wake of Alameda County's return to the most-restrictive tier.

The Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District learned the county had signed off on its reopening plan for pre-kindergarten to 12th grade students hours before Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Alameda County was among those that would be returning to the purple tier, school officials said Monday in a letter to families.

Alameda County subsequently announced that no additional schools may reopen and it is not currently offering waivers for elementary schools.

The purple "widespread risk" tier is the most restrictive tier of the state's four-tiered, color-coded COVID-19 risk system. A county must remain in the second-most restrictive red "substantial risk" tier for 14 days before schools can reopen to students. If a school opens while a county is in the red tier or better, it may remain open when the county returns to the purple tier.

Mountain House Elementary School District, which has 16 students, is the only public school district that remains open in Alameda County, said county Office of Education spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald.

LVJUSD said it was one of just two districts that submitted a reopening plan for grades K-12. The other was the Piedmont Unified School District.

Given that LVJUSD will not be opening doors to students in the meantime, school officials hope to expand cohorts, or stable groups offering targeted support for up to 14 students, said Philomena Rambo, LVJUSD community engagement director.

LVJUSD has already opened cohorts to serve special education students and had planned to phase more in during the next several weeks to meet social-emotional needs and offer support for particular subjects, though school officials have not yet revisited those plans since the purple tier move was announced Monday. An LVJUSD task force on reopening is slated to discuss the matter Thursday.

LVJUSD plans to have more information about next steps in the days to come and will communicate details to parents.

Cohorts are not intended for general education students, but school districts have some leeway in determining who its highest-need students are, said Smith McDonald. It could be students who are learning English or enrolled in special education programs.

When Alameda County eventually exits the purple tier, LVJUSD is interested in expanding small group programs and offering them on a widespread basis, Rambo said. Students would still have to socially distance and wear masks.

"Distance learning isn't necessarily what we all signed up for, but it can be very effective, especially if it is enhanced by in-person support hubs," she said.

Alameda County Superintendent of Schools L. Karen Monroe said in a statement Monday that the Office of Education will put all of its resources toward supporting schools in their efforts to plan for reopening in the future.

"As a county, state and nation, we clearly have some challenging days ahead, but there are signs of progress in fighting this virus and I am hopeful that the new year will bring with it an opportunity to be together, to learn and spend time with one another in person again," she said. "In the meantime, our collective commitment to our children and communities will sustain us."

See which Alameda County schools have reopened to serve students in person here.