NVUSD Continues To Work Toward Phase Three Of Reopening Plan

NAPA VALLEY, CA — While Napa Valley Unified School District students starting attending in-person classes in cohorts two days a week when the district moved to Phase Two of its four-phase reopening plan in late October, the district does not have a firm start date for Phase Three.

The third phase involves a hybrid of distance learning at home and in-person learning five days a week in morning and afternoon cohorts, while Phase Four is a full reopening with in-person classes five days a week.

Meanwhile, the district's Virtual Learning Academy will continue as an option for parents who prefer not to send their children back into the classroom.

Superintendent Rosanna Mucetti said NVUSD is one of fewer than 100 school districts with K-12 campuses open for hybrid in-person learning. The district remains committed in 2021 to safety and wellbeing while continuing the adjustment to the new normal brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, she said.

Mucetti promised NVUSD will "invent and reinvent" to find the best way to continue educating its students in these "extraordinary circumstances." She thanked the teachers for their critical feedback on potential schedule revisions.

The district's priority remains on increasing in-person learning opportunities and moving to Phase Three of the reopening plan as public health conditions improve, Mucetti said. Once decisions have been made communication will be sent out to the community.

"At this time, we do not have a firm date for a move to Phase Three, but we continue to work with our labor partners and public health experts to determine the most appropriate timing," Mucetti said.

Teachers Vaccinated

Last week, 750 NVUSD frontline teachers and staff received their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine, and the district said it looks forward to the availability of additional doses to protect more of its teachers and staff.

In mid-January, NVUSD had 45 virtual students and 34 in-person students who tested positive for the virus. District administration said it works closely with Human Resources to monitor the number of COVID-positive students and staff at each school to ensure that if any site reaches the 5-percent positive case closure rate, the district is prepared to quickly respond.

School Closures Possible As Enrollment Declines

Citing continuing enrollment declines across NVUSD, a Middle School Task Force was assembled to create a sustainable solution as student resources are spread too thin among the district's five middle schools.

The task force is scheduled to hold a series of meetings and will discuss closing schools and consolidating facilities. The task force is expected to present its proposal to the school board in late April or early May.

Administrators said declining enrollment not only in Napa County but in districts across California forces NVUSD to continue making expenditures cuts, right-size the district and examine the number of facilities it has open. The state's budget will not offset the enrollment decline, but NVUSD is anticipating a 3.85 percent cost-of-living adjustment along with additional funds for schools providing in-person instruction.