Dear IUSD Community,
Today, we informed our year round families that the Orange County Health Care Agency has not finalized the guidelines required for schools to safely open to students and staff in time for the start of year round schools on July 15. Schools are legally required to attest to their compliance with certain guidelines, which cannot happen while the guidelines themselves are still in flux. In light of this information, and in acknowledging that approximately 70% of our year round families want some form of in-person, on campus instruction, we will be adjusting the start of the year round school calendar to August 20, to coincide with the traditional school calendar for the 2020-21 school year. We have every intention to go back to the year round calendar for the 2021-22 school year.
Since the onset of COVID-19, IUSD has closely monitored the impact of the pandemic, worked with expert agencies, and adapted, as necessary, to ensure the health and wellbeing of students and staff, while maintaining our promise to provide academic excellence and equity. When year round schools open on August 20, they will benefit from the most recent guidance and have access to the same resources and opportunities as our traditional schools.
Please note, we have canceled the July 1 Special Board Meeting and moved the staff presentation of the proposed academic models to our regularly scheduled July 14 Board Meeting at 6:30 p.m. We will also be developing additional resources, including a comprehensive FAQ, to answer the many questions we’ve received and to help families and staff develop a better understanding of each of these options.
Thank you for your understanding and partnership, as we work to support our students and teachers during this unprecedented time.
Sincerely,
Terry L. Walker
Superintendent of Schools
Irvine Unified School District
Click here for the full message to year round families.
