MUSD submits reopening application, sets hybrid start dates

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee Union School District submitted its school reopening application the day after Tuesday’s board meeting, starting the clock on what can be no more than a two-week period before gaining approval from the county and state to reopen campuses.

Betti Cadmus, public information officer for MUSD, said district officials waited until Wednesday to submit the COVID-19 Safety Plan and Checklist "in order to include any information that may have been modified or changed at our Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 23.” Considering the maximum one-week review period each for county and state officials, the latest MUSD would be approved to reopen would be March 10.

MUSD also announced Wednesday that it has officially set April 12 as the first day of classes in a hybrid model, as was discussed the night before by board members. In addition, students in grades TK, kindergarten and grade 6 will begin returning to campus on March 29 – the week before spring break instead of the week after. That was designed as a “soft return” to allow those who are attending a new campus for the first time to adjust to the surroundings.

Once everyone is back on campus part-time following spring break, there will be eight weeks of instruction remaining in the school year. At least the first part of that time period will be in a hybrid model, unless families request that students remain in full-time distance learning.

Wednesday’s announcement stated that within two weeks, families would receive details of the hybrid model with daily schedules and class reassignments, if necessary. Administrators said during the board meeting that every effort will be made to keep students with the same teacher they have now.

The only detail given regarding the hybrid model was a statement in the board meeting recap issued by the district. It stated that “students whose parents wish them to return to school will be able to return to the classroom for approximately two half‐days per week and will participate in additional remote instruction in both synchronous and asynchronous models throughout the week.”

Assistant superintendent Dr. Kimberly Huesing told board members on Tuesday that the hybrid model, which was first developed last summer, was not yet ready to present to families.

“The Hybrid Task Force identified and recommended a hybrid model last summer, should we return to hybrid learning,” Cadmus said today. “Since it has been approximately eight months since its original development, we felt it was important to bring the Hybrid Task Force back together to collaboratively look at, and refine, the model with our best expertise now that we have been in Distance Learning+ for approximately seven months.

“As part of the implementation of the hybrid model, we are working collaboratively with our union partners to identify any potential impacts and refine the model in the best interests of our students, staff, and families.”

The March 29 return of sixth grade students (and April 12 for grades 7-8) is contingent on Riverside County dropping below 7 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. The case rate reported this week was 16.6.