MUSD board approves full-time distance, hybrid models

Editor’s note: We realize this is too complex an issue to adequately address in one news article. As we are doing with the decision regarding high schools in Menifee, we will continue to report more closely on these developments and seek additional responses from school officials.

By Doug Spoon, Editor

After hearing staff reports, listening to public comments from more than 50 individuals and lengthy discussion, the Menifee Union School District board voted 3-2 Tuesday night to offer full-time distance learning and a hybrid learning model as the two options for students in the upcoming school year.

MUSD thus became the second school district governing Menifee schools to vote against a return to traditional on-campus learning – at least for the start of the school year. Board trustees and staff members acknowledged that the learning models may require frequent re-evaluation. It is also possible that Gov. Gavin Newsom may order all school districts in the state to go to full-time distance learning because of rising COVID-19 numbers

The governing board of Perris Union High School District, which oversees Paloma Valley and Heritage high schools, voted unanimously last week to offer full-time distance learning as the only option to open the school year. The Romoland School District board is scheduled to make its decision July 21.

Prior to discussing the options and making a decision, board members heard from representatives of three tasks forces with detailed reports about how each learning model would work. A fourth task force has been negotiating with the Menifee Teachers Association and Menifee Council of Classified Employees. Chad McGough, assistant superintendent of Personnel Services, said staff is optimistic about reaching an agreement by the end of the week with those groups regarding working conditions based on Wednesday night’s decision.

McGough read to board members a statement from Shelli Sullivan, president of MTA, saying that although all teachers desired to return to work full-time on campus, they were “literally split down the middle” on whether it was safe to do so. A representative of the MCCE reported that the majority of its members were not in favor of on-campus instruction to start the year.

In addition, board members listened for more than an hour as emails were read from 53 people – mostly parents of MUSD students – during the public comments portion of the meeting, which was held virtually. Some parents who commented voiced a preference for a choice among two or all three learning options. The majority favored either traditional or distance learning as the only option.

An unofficial count by Menifee 24/7 showed 23 in favor of traditional on-campus learning and 17 in favor of full-time distance learning. More than 900 people watched and listened to the virtual meeting through the district’s online portal.

Several of those in favor of a return to traditional learning referred to a previous district survey, in which 55.5 percent of parents favored a return to traditional on-learning campus. That survey was conducted weeks ago, before the recent spike in reported coronavirus cases in Riverside County.

Interim Superintendent Gary Rutherford reported that staff’s recommendation would be to offer full-time distance learning as the only option, considering that Riverside County is still in Stage 2 of the state’s reopening plan, in which large gatherings are discouraged.

Board member Reg Bennett opened the discussion portion following public comments by making a motion to approve distance learning and a hybrid learning model as the two options available to students to start the school year. Trustee Kyle Root seconded the motion.

“I believe offering all three options is not fiscally possible,” said Bennett, joining the majority of board members in saying that traditional learning was not feasible at this time because of safety concerns. According to the staff report on the traditional model, masks would be required by both adults and students and there would be “tiered intervention” for those not following the rules.

Bennett said that while he believed distance learning was the safest choice to start the school year, he felt the board should provide an option for students to attend class on campus at least part of the week. He cited the survey and public comments, as well as concerns for the emotional well-being of students who would be shut in their homes or who do not have suitable caregivers during the school day.

According to the staff report, the hybrid learning model would require students to attend class on campus in parts of two days each week, with afternoon study being conducted online from home. That would amount to about 1 1/3 days of actual campus attendance. The rest of the week would consist of a combination of structured online interaction between students and teachers, and time for students to work independently on projects.

To minimize class size, half the students in the hybrid model would attend class on campus on Monday and Tuesday, with the other half attending class on campus on Thursday and Friday.

Board member Kenyon Jenkins said he didn’t believe the hybrid model would work.

“If you want to stop the virus … look how the lab experts are dressed," Jenkins said. "They’re in full hazmat gear, and it still didn’t work. You’re asking children to stay six feet apart, wear a mask, and enforce that. Asking a 6-year-old to maintain six-foot space and wear a mask all day long … I don’t see that happening.”

Board member Bob O’Donnell said he believed the only safe option at this point was the full-time distance learning model. Board President Jackie Johansen said she agreed with Bennett’s motion but asked Rutherford whether it would be possible to push back the Aug. 12 start of school a couple weeks or begin the school year online-only, giving staff more time to refine the hybrid learning model.

Rutherford said those were possibilities staff could consider, but no decisions were made in that area.

After extensive discussion of the motion, a vote was taken. Bennett voted yes, O’Donnell no and Jenkins no. Root paused for several seconds before voting yes. Johansen voted yes to break the tie.


Moments earlier, Root said he stuck by his stated preference a month ago in a board meeting that students should have the option of either traditional or full-time distance learning. He said he struggled with the logistics of the hybrid option, but also had concerns about requiring all students to return to campus full-time.

“The hybrid model seems complicated,” he said before the vote. “I would hope you could tweak it a bit to hold students more accountable.”

Kimberly Huesing, assistant superintendent of educational services, acknowledged that the hybrid model “won’t be perfect” by the first day of school, but that “we will work day and night to prepare it.”

In the distance learning model, students will be required to be online with their teacher in specified periods throughout the day, with a break for lunch. Teachers will be available in additional office hours and will utilize several learning programs for online instruction.

Details on how special education students will be instructed online are still being worked out.