Bakersfield City School District

Doc Ervin, Superintendent Board of Education

1300 Baker Street Pam Baugher, President
Bakersfield, CA 93305-4399 Lillian Tafoya, President Pro-tem
Phone (661) 631-4610 Laura Guerrero-Salgado, Clerk
Fax (661) 324-3190 Shannon Zimmerman, Clerk Pro-tem
www.bcsd.com Dr. Chris Cruz-Boone, Member

February 19, 2021

Dear BCSD Learning Community,

The Bakersfield City School District received new guidance this afternoon altering previously
communicated plans to resume in-person instruction in March. We begin by reiterating our focus
to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for our students and staff. We also
acknowledge our commitment to welcome students back to campus during the 2020-2021 school
year. It is important to note, BCSD will only resume in-person instruction if the county case rate
allows. We will continue to monitor local health updates, including the COVID-19 positive case
rate, and will act accordingly. The case rate must be below 25 per 100,000 residents per state
guidelines in order for schools to welcome students back to campus. The following information
pertains to the District’s tentative return to in-person instruction plan for elementary school
students and teachers only.

At the end of last week, the state offered school districts the opportunity to return to October
2020 guidance, which allows BCSD to declare elementary schools open. In order to be permitted
to reopen, the District must go through a Safety Review from the California Department of Public
Health. If approved, schools may open in the “purple tier” if local case rates fall below 25 cases
per 100,000 for five consecutive days. Kern County Department of Public Health reported an
adjusted case rate of 26.8 this week, suggesting improvement and decline in the future.

Additionally, Effective Monday, February 22, 2021, Kern County will add education workers to
the priority populations eligible for vaccination. BCSD Wellness Centers will receive doses of the
COVID-19 vaccine as early as next week. The District is also working to secure appointments for
BCSD employees through outside providers. Employees who wish to receive the vaccine through
BCSD or outside providers are asked to complete the following survey using their BCSD email
account. The availability of vaccines will directly impact appointment volume.

COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Survey for All BCSD Employees: https://go.bcsd.com/gzk

Employees unable to access the survey may contact School Health and Wellness at 631-5895

As the District anticipates an improvement in county health per local guidance, we encourage all
staff and members of our community to revisit our Return to School Roadmap documents, which
provide detailed information regarding the health and safety measures in place across our
District. Furthermore, as guidance is updated at the state level, District staff will continue to
update BCSD protocols to ensure we meet all state directed health and safety protocols. As we
continue to work towards the reopening of schools, we share the below return to school dates
with you for planning purposes.

Tentative & Targeted Return Dates:

 Tuesday, April 6, 2021:
 Thursday, April 8, 2021:
 Monday, April 12, 2021:
All Self-Contained Special Education and PK-2 teachers return
to worksite*
In-person instruction begins for grades Special Education
and PK-2*
Additionally, all 3-6 teachers return to worksite*
In-person instruction begins for grades 3-6 at elementary
sites only**

*BCSD will only return to in-person instruction if the county case rate allows
**Per state guidance, Jr. High and Middle Schools are unable to open until the county moves
into the “red tier”. Jr. High and Middle School students grades 6-8 will continue to
participate in distance learning.

Distance learning options are available if you do not want your child to return to campus. To
effectively and smoothly transition staff and students back into the classroom, we ask parents
and guardians of BCSD elementary students to complete the BCSD Return to In-Person School
Parent Survey below. We emphasize, this survey is only for parents and guardians of BCSD
elementary students. Per state guidance, Jr. High and Middle Schools are unable to open until
the county moves into the “red tier” and students will continue to participate in distance
learning. Please contact your school site if you have trouble accessing the survey. Additional
information from your school site is forthcoming.

BCSD Return to In-Person School Parent Survey: https://go.bcsd.com/gze

Upon the return to campus, we expect students and staff to adhere to established health and
safety protocols, including but not limited to, wearing a facial covering at all times while
maintaining physical distance of at least six feet. The accompanying document details additional
health and safety measures enacted on campus in the interest of students and staff. Please know
that we value our learning community and are prioritizing the health and safety of our students,
staff, and families with every decision we make. We share our sincerest appreciation for your
support and understanding. Please reach out to your school site or immediate supervisor if you
have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Doc Ervin
Superintendent