Parents: Manhattan Beach Schools Delay Some On-Campus Activities

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA —

December 31, 2020

Hello MBUSD Parents and Guardians,

In a special board meeting this morning, I recommended that the Board consider delaying the re-opening of our K-12 in-person programs until at least January 11, and possibly until January 19. I presented background information that included:

• Information about the continued surge of cases in LA County and in our community
• New guidance from LACDPH about travel outside of Southern California and possible impact on staffing
• A recommendation from Beach Cities Health District to consider delaying reopening for two weeks

After a robust and thoughtful discussion, the Board voted 4-1 in favor of the following:

• EDP will resume on Tuesday, January 5
• Preschool childcare will resume on Tuesday, January 5
• All TK-2 and High Need Hybrid students will resume distance learning on Tuesday, January 5
• TK-2 in-person instruction will resume Wednesday, January 13, with the following schedule:
• TK-2 Cohort A students will attend in-person on Wednesday, January 13, campuses will be closed on Thursday, January 14, and TK-2 Cohort B students will attend in-person on Friday, January 15
• Any students or employees who are traveling outside of the Southern California area must return home and begin self-quarantine by January 3 in order to be able to participate in in-person instruction on January 13
• TK-2 in-person instruction will shift to the AA/BB model (two mornings a week on campus for students and four mornings for teachers) beginning the week of January 19:
• Monday and Tuesday mornings Cohort A on campus for learning
• Wednesday synchronous and asynchronous at-home learning
• Thursday and Friday mornings Cohort B on campus for learning
• The District will strive for a February 1 transition to an AM/PM model
• High Need Hybrid in-person instruction will begin on Wednesday, January 13, and Friday, January 15 (with no in-person instruction on Thursday, January 14), and then these programs will return to their regular in-person schedules beginning on January 19.
• Athletic conditioning will resume on Wednesday, January 13

Like many other decisions during this difficult time, this is frustrating news for some, and welcome news for others. I appreciate the Board’s readiness to respond thoughtfully to new information as it arrives, and I support the Board’s decision. I will provide additional information in my next Monday Morning Message on January 4.

I hope you all find a way to safely celebrate kicking this 2020 year to the curb, and I look forward to a better 2021.

Thanks,

Mike Matthews, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Manhattan Beach Unified School District
325 S. Peck Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310)318-7345, x5900