San Diego County: Mobilizing Technical Assistance, Partnerships, and Data to Support School Reopening

Background on San Diego County

San Diego County is located in southwestern California and contains a mix of urban and rural school districts. As California’s second-most-populous county, it has over 3.3 million residents and a median household income of $79,000. The San Diego County Office of Education supports 42 school districts with a total enrollment in 2019–20 of over 423,000 students (not including charter school students) in about 630 schools. There are 23 elementary school districts, 6 high school districts, and 13 unified school districts in the county. In 2019–20, 48.3% of students enrolled in districts across the county identified as Hispanic or Latino, 29.5% as White, 6.2% as Asian, 6.1% as two or more races, 4.3% as Black or African American, 3.7% as Filipino, 0.5% as American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.4% as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; 1% of students had no reported ethnicity. Across the county, 18.7% of students were English learners and 50.1% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Leveraging Partnerships to Support Safe Child Care Reopening: San Diego County’s Child Care Disaster Council

As the k–12 sector grappled with issues related to school reopening, the child care and preschool sector faced similar challenges. In San Diego, the County Office of Education has worked closely with partners to share resources and facilitate safe reopening of early childhood and school-age child care programs. Within 3 weeks after schools closed in mid-March 2020, SDCOE began working closely with other leaders in the child care sector to support the safe reopening of child care programs in San Diego. Together with the YMCA Child Care Resource Service, the county’s Child Care Resource and Referral Agency, and First 5 San Diego, SDCOE helped reactivate the county’s Child Care Disaster Council, which had been inoperative prior to the pandemic. By early April, they were organizing weekly sector calls during which local health officers, staff from the Community Care Licensing department, and education officers gave the latest relevant updates to child care providers and offered a space for their questions to be answered.

By April 15, 2020, when the state required Local Child Care and Development Planning Councils to create emergency COVID-19 plans, SDCOE and its partners had already been implementing various pandemic response measures. The Child Care Disaster Council also created tools that are specific to the early childhood education setting. This included a reopening checklist, which addressed topics such as staff training, screening, social distancing, routine sanitation, diapering, washing and holding a child, hygiene, food preparation, and security. Another tool that the Child Care Disaster Council adapted for non-school-based child care settings was the COVID-19 Symptom Decision Tree, which gave child care providers clear instructions on what to do if a child or staff member develops symptoms of COVID-19. By April 2021, a survey conducted by the YMCA Child Care Resource Service found that out of 511 respondents (12% of all licensed child care centers and family child care homes in San Diego County), over 80% of licensed child care centers and 90% of family child care homes in the district had reopened.

In addition to providing practical tools, the Child Care Disaster Council also collaborated on gathering data to better understand the child care needs of the county. To facilitate an efficient use of resources, SDCOE and its partners launched a survey for essential workers to determine the type of care, age groups, hours, and locations needed for their children. In May 2020, San Diego allocated $10 million of CARES Act funding to provide emergency child care vouchers for local families. From July to December 2020, 2,454 children from 1,561 families benefited from the vouchers. About 60% of households receiving the vouchers earned less than $65,000, and about a quarter earned less than $35,000.

SDCOE’s Child Care Disaster Council partners also played an important role in ensuring that child care workers had priority access to vaccines. With the help of First 5 San Diego, YMCA Child Care Resource Service, and Child Development Associates, SDCOE helped develop and distribute guidance and templates to assist child care workers, especially those in the private sector, with confirming their occupational eligibility for vaccination. These were also widely shared by SDCOE’s partners to ensure that the information reached as many child care workers as possible. In addition, the YMCA opened several weekend vaccination sites that were reserved exclusively for child care workers. These sites were designed to accommodate the schedules of child care providers, who were often working on weekdays.

Implementing Mitigation Strategies in Cajon Valley Union School District

On September 8, 2020, Cajon Valley Union School District opened for hybrid instruction and in-person instruction, making Cajon Valley the largest school district in the state to reopen using an Elementary Education Waiver during fall 2020. In addition, all Cajon Valley preschools and Early Start programs also opened for in-person instruction 5 days per week. As of April 2021, Cajon Valley was one out of only six districts in San Diego County to fully reopen following the pandemic. According to the district, since reopening in September, Cajon Valley has had 738 COVID-19 cases, of which three were suspected to be in-school transmission (two cases of staff-to-staff and one case of student-to-staff transmission)The Cajon Valley dashboard displays the number of active COVID-19 cases in the district but does not track in-school transmission.. As of June 7, 2021, the COVID-19 positivity rate was 0.02% for students and 0.004% for staff.

Cajon Valley Union School District is an urban district serving transitional kindergarten (TK) through grade 8. The district has 21 elementary schools, most of which each serve 500–800 students in transitional kindergarten through 5th grade, and 6 middle schools, each serving 800–1,500 students in grades 6–8. Cajon Valley also currently offers free and fee-based preschool programs for families within the district. These preschool programs, which include the California State Preschool Program and special education preschool, serve children between the ages of 3 and 5. The district currently has 20 state-funded part-day preschool classes across 11 elementary sites and 20 part-day special education preschool classes at 10 sites.

In 2019–20, Cajon Valley had an enrollment of 17,342 students, with 44.5% of students identifying as White, 37.5% as Hispanic or Latino, 5.9% as Black or African American, 3.2% as Asian, 2.5% as two or more races, 0.7% as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.4% as Filipino, and 0.3% as American Indian or Alaska Native; 4.9% of students had no reported ethnicity. Across the district, 33.3% of students are classified as English learners and 69.7% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Community Outreach

Since March 2020, Cajon Valley has held over 100 virtual town hall meetings for educators, families, and other community stakeholders in an effort to hear the community’s concerns and to better meet their needs in the midst of the pandemic. In learning that there was a need for child care, the district opened a limited number of schools to provide free child care to the community’s essential workers in May 2020 using funds allocated by the state through emergency legislation. In December 2020, Cajon Valley began recording the virtual town hall meetings and posting them on the district’s website to share the discussions with community members who were unable to attend. Feedback from these meetings informed the development of Cajon Valley’s reopening plan.

In addition to the town hall meetings, Cajon Valley conducted a live expert panel virtual event in October 2020 for families and educators. The event was designed to help address community concerns about COVID-19 and the safety of returning to in-person learning. This event allowed community members to share questions and concerns with public health professionals. Moderated by a local news anchor, the event included doctors and officials from Rady Children’s Hospital and the University of California at San Diego.

Rules for Moving Between School Closure and Reopening

To make decisions about reopening and closure, Cajon Valley uses a phased plan, developed based on the state’s reopening guidance, CDC guidance, and SDCOE’s COVID-19 Recovery and Reopening Plan. For cases occurring at a single school site, students and staff in affected cohorts are required to switch to distance learning for 14 days. School sites may close to in-person learning if multiple cohorts are affected by COVID-19 cases. If COVID-19 cases emerge at multiple schools in the district, district leadership may close multiple school sites or the entire district based on community health needs.

Attendance Policy

When Cajon Valley first reopened for in-person learning, families in the district were able to choose from three instructional models: traditional, blended, or distance learning. The traditional model provided 100% in-school instruction, 5 days per week; the blended model provided 2–3 days of in-person instruction, plus 2–3 days of distance learning, per week; and the distance learning model provided all instruction, 5 days per week, through virtual, at-home instruction. For pre-k students, only the instructional models of in-school and distance learning were offered. Families were able to switch learning models at specified times throughout the year or sooner depending on need. Families received information on schedules for each of the instructional models through the district’s reopening plan on Cajon Valley’s website. The district also organized and facilitated multiple virtual parent stakeholder meetings.

On April 12, 2021, to bring more students back to school for in-person, full-day learning, Cajon Valley stopped offering its blended learning instructional model. However, the district continues to allow families to opt in to distance learning. Students who have chosen in-person learning will continue to attend school 5 days per week, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. As of June 7, 2021, 11,251 students in the district (65%) were enrolled in full-day, in-person learning. According to the district, the majority of the families that are still opting for remote learning in Cajon Valley are families of color and/or families living in low-income areas. To help these families feel safe and supported with returning to school, the district has explored various strategies, including hosting parent stakeholder meetings, co-hosting panels with vaccine experts, and making sure that families have access to and are informed about all COVID-19 health and safety measures.

Cohorts and Scheduling

According to the district’s reopening plan, a cohort is a stable group of students who stay together for all courses and activities (e.g., lunch, recess) and avoid contact with individuals in other cohorts. Students are grouped into cohorts to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and allow for contact tracing. Cohorts also function as “advisories,” in which student groups are assigned a credentialed teacher who guides their progress and helps develop students’ strengths and interests. Advisories are also intended to help connect students to a stable peer group for support and collaboration. In middle schools, teachers rotate to different classes during passing periods to minimize mixing of cohorts.

Cohort sizes were determined by considering the maximum capacity for each cohort’s learning space, with the goal of maintaining 3-foot physical distancing to the maximum extent possible. Currently, Cajon Valley has an average cohort size of 22 students per classroom advisory group. To the extent possible, extended-day and after-school programs keep students in the same cohorts they are in during the school day.

Preschool students and their teachers also stay in stable cohorts. However, unlike teachers in TK–8th grade, state preschool teachers teach part-day classes, so teachers have either a morning or afternoon cohort of students. Sixteen of the district’s 20 state preschool classes (morning and afternoon) are in person, with each class comprising 13 students, 1 teacher, and 2 assistants. For special education preschool, most teachers are responsible for both morning and afternoon in-person classes, though some teach one in-person and one distance learning session. The number of distance learning classes has decreased as increasing numbers of parents have chosen to have their children return to in-person learning.

Symptom Screening

Per Cajon Valley’s 2021 COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist, all employees, students, and visitors are required to have daily symptom screenings and temperature checks prior to being admitted to any district offices or school sites. The screening is a series of questions used to help determine if individuals have been experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19. To expedite the screening process, the district has also created the Cajon Valley Union School District Safety Health Questions card, which parents or guardians can complete for students and place on the dashboard of their vehicle.

Temperature checks are conducted using a non-contact thermometer. If an individual has a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or above, then a temperature recheck is done using an oral thermometer. If it is confirmed that an individual’s temperature is at or above 100 degrees, then the individual is sent home until they are able to meet the criteria to return. The district provides employee COVID-19 self-check stations at each school site. The stations include a symptoms questionnaire and supplies for employees to screen themselves.

State preschool staff use a family engagement app called Learning Genie to enable efficient health screening. The app, originally used as a tool to track students’ academic progress, has an electronic sign-in/sign-out system. Before bringing students to school, parents complete a health screening questionnaire on the app. When parents arrive at school, they scan a QR code on their phone to sign their child in or out. This system allows families to communicate with teachers about their children’s symptoms prior to their arrival on campus, which has greatly simplified the on-site symptom screening process and sign-in/sign-out process.

Quarantine Procedures

Students and staff must self-isolate for 10 days from symptom onset or from the date of a positive test. As soon as the district becomes aware of a student or staff member with a positive test result, all individuals identified as close contacts are immediately notified and provided instructions to quarantine for 14 days. A close contact is defined as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, starting from 2 days before illness onset (or for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

Students who have been ill, tested positive, or been exposed may return to school if 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without needing fever-reducing medication, and symptoms have improved. Alternatively, students may return if they can provide proof of a negative molecular test, which detects viral genetic material, and have been symptom-free for 3 days. To attend school, students with chronic health conditions that produce COVID-19-like symptoms must provide a signed note from a medical professional.

Testing and Tracing

Students and staff can access free COVID-19 testing through the county’s community testing sites. The school district receives notification of positive COVID-19 cases through self-reporting by students or staff and through the County Public Health notification system.

Cajon Valley’s IT department, HR department, COVID-19 leads, and district administrators have been heavily involved in tracing the spread of the virus. If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the district notifies the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency and assists local health officials in conducting contact tracing to identify potentially exposed individuals.

Ventilation

Prior to the pandemic, Cajon Valley worked to create greener and more environmentally friendly facilities through the Green Cajon Valley initiative. This initiative allowed the district to replace older, inefficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units with newer, more energy-efficient units at school sites across the district. As part of the district’s COVID-19 Prevention Plan, Cajon Valley also conducted a site-by-site analysis with its facilities team to identify mitigation measures that were needed to reopen safely. As a result of the site inspections, Cajon Valley updated ventilation systems and installed HEPA and MERV 11 filters at all of the school sites in the district with compatible air conditioning units. Cajon Valley also recommends that schools keep windows and doors open and use fans as frequently as weather, temperature, and air quality conditions allow.

Physical Distancing

Individuals are required to maintain at least 3 feet of physical distancing. To facilitate effective physical distancing among students, the district advises that schools maximize spacing between seating and desks. To reduce transmission risk in situations where 3 feet of distancing may be difficult to maintain, the district highlights its use of multilayered mitigation measures, including limiting the number of individuals in a space, limiting the amount of time individuals spend in a space, and ensuring that spaces are well ventilated.

Preschool students in the district sit apart but can be placed into groups of two to four within their cohorts when in learning centers. Circle time at the preschool level has also been modified. Some preschool classes place chairs or poly spots around the carpet to support physical distancing, while other centers have opted not to have circle time at all, or to bring the “circle” to the students so they can participate at their tables. Some staff use hula hoops for each student to stand or sit in when engaging in music and movement activities outside.

Sanitation

Under the district’s reopening plan, both custodial and general staff assist with sanitation of school buildings. General staff clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, chairs, shared equipment like laptops, and other common areas within their classrooms or work areas, while custodial staff at each site provide enhanced disinfecting for all school and district facilities. School facilities, buses, and shared equipment such as desks, tables, sports and playground equipment, computers, door handles, light switches, and other frequently used equipment and supplies are cleaned and disinfected daily.

Hygiene and Mask Use

Cajon Valley encourages students and staff to practice good hygiene, such as appropriate covering of coughs and sneezes and regular handwashing for at least 20 seconds before eating and after coughing or sneezing. The district provides dedicated times for students to wash their hands throughout the day. School sites use videos and print resources to help educate students on handwashing and hygiene practices. Touchless hand sanitizer dispensers are provided in every classroom.

In accordance with state guidance, Cajon Valley requires students, staff, and visitors to wear face coverings while on school grounds. The district provides face coverings for students and staff who do not bring their own. However, the district allows face covering exemptions for individuals who are under age 2 or have a medical condition or disability that would impede them from properly wearing or handling a face covering. If students, including those with special needs, are unable to wear a cloth facial covering, the district encourages staff to use a plastic face shield and drape. Similarly, mask use is required for preschool students, although teachers are encouraged to use additional layers of protection when preschoolers are unable to wear masks.

Transportation

Cajon Valley’s Transportation Department implemented new rules for students riding buses. All school buses are sanitized regularly and must maintain air circulation by keeping windows open and ensuring that bus ventilation systems are drawing in as much outdoor air as possible. The district has also added new transportation boarding and seating guidelines based on guidance from the San Diego Health and Human Services Agency and SDCOE. Under these guidelines, students are required to sit in assigned seats.

Temperature checks and symptom screenings must be conducted prior to students boarding the bus. To accomplish this, the district trained transportation staff on conducting checks and screenings, performing sanitation, and implementing safety protocols to reduce the risk of transmission. Similar to screening at school sites, staff take students’ temperatures using non-contact thermometers, and students answer a series of questions to determine if they have experienced COVID-19 symptoms. Students displaying symptoms, including a temperature at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, are not permitted to ride the bus. Students riding the bus must wear masks and are not required to undergo additional screening once reaching school sites.

Recreation and Extracurriculars

Large gatherings, such as assemblies, rallies, field trips, and athletic events, were suspended when Cajon Valley first resumed in-person instruction in September 2020. However, school board policy permits exceptions if activities can be modified to protect participants’ health and safety. For example, field trips and certain extracurricular activities, like outdoor singing and band practice, are permitted provided that precautions such as physical distancing and mask wearing are implemented to the fullest extent possible.

To reduce the risk of exposure while students are playing in outdoor spaces and recreational areas, both staff and students are required to wear masks. The district has also marked campus playgrounds to help students and adults maintain adequate physical distancing. If more than one cohort of students is utilizing an outdoor playground area at the same time, cohorts are expected to maintain separation and avoid mixing by staying in separate areas of the playground. An adult must be present to actively supervise students during their outdoor play to ensure that outdoor playground protocols are being adhered to. Students and staff are required to wash or sanitize their hands before and after playground visits. In accordance with county guidance, outdoor playgrounds and natural play areas must also undergo routine cleaning and disinfecting.

Educator Health and Safety

On March 23, 2020, Cajon Valley Union School District and the Cajon Valley Education Association entered into an MOU, which specified the district’s responsibility for ensuring that all work locations were sanitized in accordance with CDC guidelines before staff returned and that hand sanitizer be provided in every classroom, bathroom, workroom, workstation, office, cafeteria, and outdoor campus area. Employees were also provided a minimum of two paid workdays to prepare for the return to work.

In June 2020, the district hosted a Decision Making and Strategic Planning Summit with the Cajon Valley Education Association, the California School Employees Association, the Cajon Valley Administrators Association, and the district’s governing board and cabinet members. Cajon Valley also organized town halls with teachers to understand their safety concerns.

Since reopening, Cajon Valley has hired approximately 80 additional certified teachers and 100 additional classified staff, which brings the number of full-time school employees in Cajon Valley up to about 2,400. With a larger workforce, the district hopes to maintain reduced class sizes, provide additional care for students, and ensure that the district has the capacity to properly adhere to safety guidelines from the California Department of Public Health.

Vaccines

Currently, any staff working at k–12 public school sites or early learning care sites are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. VEBA and the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency have prioritized school employees who work in person at school sites for vaccination.

On Friday, March 12, 2021, in a video update, Cajon Valley announced that all district employees who had chosen to receive the vaccination would be fully vaccinated by April 3, 2021. The following day, the district hosted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for all school employees. The clinic, with the help of community partner and local health care clinic Sycuan, was able to administer 570 doses of the vaccine to school staff.

Meals

According to the Cajon Valley Union School District’s Plan for Reopening, students receiving in-person instruction can bring their own meals, with snacks and lunches packed in clearly marked containers. School meals are also available daily and provided to students in their respective classrooms. Students are instructed not to share food.