PSUSD plans to bring a very small group of students back into the classroom this month

The Palm Springs Unified School District's four-month timeline to bring students back into the classroom has gone as planned so far, but it could be affected by Riverside County's tier status.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mike Swize provided an update on the district's hybrid implementation timeline is going on Tuesday during Board of Education.

Swize said the first two months of the plan went ahead just as intended. In September, the district discussed plans with staff and site administrators, as well as surveyed parents. In October, the district made plans to prepare campuses and bring back a small group of students who are struggling with distance learning.

The district also finalized the schedules for the hybrid model. Swize said PSUSD schools will follow the 2-day, 3-day model. This means students will be back in the classroom for two days and learn at home for three days.

In November, the district plans to finalize school site level logistics, which would include what time things like recess, school start time, and lunch time.

Swize also revealed that the district has started the transition to the hybrid model by bringing in a "very small" target group of students back into campuses. The district also has afternoon small groups sponsored by teachers.

Additional details on this small group of students back in the classrooms will be discussed during the next board meeting scheduled for Nov. 24.

The current plan is for PSUSD schools to impliment the hybrid model (students return at 50% max capacity) on Jan. 19. However, this could be pushed back depending on whether or not Riverside County is still in the purple tier of the state's reopening plan.

Schools aren't allowed to reopen in the purple tier. On Tuesday, Riverside County actually moved futher away from the metrics needed to move into the red tier, which would allow schools to open.

Riverside County metrics (As of Nov. 10)

• 13.9 Adjusted Case Rate (Last week - 11.5) --- Needs to be 4.0 – 7.0
• 6.7% positivity rate (Last week - 5.9%) --- Needs to be 5.0 – 8.0%
• 8.5% HEQ rate (Last week - 7.8%) --- Needs to be 5.3 – 8.0%
• 13.1 new cases per 100K (Last week - 11.5) --- Needs to be between 4 to 7 cases per day per 100K

The county needs to meet the red tier metrics for three straight weeks before it is officially moved into the red tier. This would mean if the county met the metrics during next week's update, it wouldn't be moved to the red tier until Dec 1. That gets pushed back each week the county doesn't meet the needed metrics.

Swize mention that the board will continue to monitor the county's tier status. If the county remains in the purple tier by December, PSUSD's board would have to push back the start of the hybrid plan to February.

The board will continue to discuss the plan to bring students back to the classrooms, this includes meetings with staff and a planned town hall with parents.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.

As for the two other local districts, the Coachella Valley Unified School District had a meeting with parents Tuesday evening laying out its hybrid plan.

CVUSD parents have been given until Nov. 17 to decide if they want to to choose between keeping their kids at home through the rest of the school year, and sending them back to the classroom once it's permitted.

Details: CVUSD lays out plans for hybrid learning; parents must decide by next week

Parents in the Desert Sands Unified School District had a similar decision to make this week. Parents had until Nov. 10 to decide if they want to send their children back into the classrooms.

Full Story: DSUSD parents set to choose between distance learning and hybrid model next week