Board to decide about return to hybrid model; New school district re-entry survey

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CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – The Grants/Cibola County School District posted a new survey to help officials decide when to return to hybrid learning instruction. The district had utilized technology to provide distance-learning instruction for all students during the first nine weeks of this academic year.

The online assessment is designed to provide insight into concerns that affect families, students, and district employees. Area residents including volunteers are also invited to express their thoughts about having return students to a classroom setting. The 17-item survey, which provides space for comments, asked respondents to describe the reliability of their household internet access, identify their child’s school and grade level along with rating attendance during the first semester, comment on the student’s comfort level with distance-learning along with other topics. It includes three “required” fields: describe the respondent’s relationship with the district (parent, employee, et cetera), comment on the pandemic’s social impact on the respondent (choices range from feeling “devastated” to “doing very well”) and individual district employees’ willingness to be inoculated once the vaccine becomes available.

The survey was posted on the district’s website on Monday, Jan. 4.

Superintendent Max Perez reported at the Jan. 5 board meeting that 265 people had responded during the first 24 hours. Thursday, Jan.14, is the deadline for participating.

“This survey is intended for data collection purposes only,” according to G/CCSD officials.

The district began the 2020-21 academic year utilizing only distancelearning instruction. The board voted in September to initiate the hybrid-learning option during the second quarter of the first semester. The option allowed families to choose that their children be in the classroom 50 percent of the time and utilize online instruction the remainder of the time. Families retained the choice of distance-learning, according to Superintendent Perez.

Rising numbers of COVID-19 cases prompted the board to return all students to distance-learning in November. Community spread has resulted in a total of 94 people (district employees and students) who have tested positive for the coronavirus since the school year began on Aug. 10. Three positive tests were reported in August, two in September, and six in October but numbers spiked in November, 45, and dropped to 29 for December. Nine additional cases had been reported by Jan. 5.

Those younger than 18 accounted for the largest number of positive tests, 45; the 40-64 age group reported 24, while those aged 18-39 had 22 cases. Those aged 65-84 were responsible for three positive tests. The district tracks COVID-19 cases, including ages of those infected, and posts the monthly statistics on its website.

The superintendent plans to present survey results at the Jan. 19 meeting when the G/CCSD board is scheduled to vote on the proposed re-entry plan.

“We are working on reaching out to more families to get their participation in this survey,” said the superintendent.

The five-member board will consider the survey responses as one factor in their decision about when to return to the hybrid-learning model, according to officials.

Visit https://www.gccs.k12.nm.us/home or call 505-285-2603 for more information.