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The Road to Reopening Ventura County Schools

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Fall 2020
From the Superintendent
Ventura County Schools Preparing for Reopening
The prospect of students returning to their classrooms is getting closer to reality as the coronavirus situation in Ventura County starts to improve. Before schools are allowed to reopen to all students, Ventura County must move off the most restrictive level – the purple tier – on the state’s coronavirus watch list and stay off of it for two weeks.
Once that happens, schools are ready to begin implementing detailed plans they have prepared to bring students back to class. Because of the need to maximize safety and minimize the spread of the virus, it won’t be a complete return to normal. To allow for social distancing, most students will return to class part-time and continue distance learning the rest of the time. Masks will be required for all but the youngest students, more learning will happen outdoors, and sports and extracurricular activities will be limited.
Still, it will be a major first step toward resuming the regular operations of our schools. Even a partial return to in-class learning will let students experience social and emotional connections that can’t be duplicated online. It will give parents a much-needed break and let teachers do what they do best in their classrooms.
In this edition of Focus on Education, we take a closer look at how the rest of the school year is likely to unfold. We also introduce you to local educators who are going above and beyond to ensure students keep learning while campuses have been closed. I hope you’ll be as inspired as I am by the way Ventura County educators are stepping up to face the challenges of the pandemic for the good of our kids and our community.
Stan Mantooth
Ventura County Superintendent of Schools
When Ventura County schools start welcoming students back to class, it’s not going to be business as usual. Find out what students can expect when campuses reopen.
The Rio School District in Oxnard is going the extra mile to make distance learning work for all of its students – many of whom are facing extra challenges during the pandemic.
It’s almost time for class to begin at Triton Academy, a VCOE school in Camarillo that serves students with autism. Teacher Denise Pannell is seated at her computer in a sparkling classroom…
Engaging. Interactive. Encouraging. These are some of the words that students at Oak Park High School use to describe their experience with distance learning in Winnie Sloan’s 10th grade biology class.
When the coronavirus pandemic threatened to sideline Ventura County’s most popular academic competitions, John Tarkany knew it was time to get creative.
Thank you to the Rio School District for providing some of the photos that appear in this edition of Focus on Education.