Clarkdale-Jerome to return to full in-person learning Feb. 16

CLARKDALE — Since Jan. 25, Clarkdale-Jerome students have been on campus two days each week, three days they’ve been in school from home.

Tuesday, the district’s governing board voted unanimously to return to full in-person learning on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Monday, Feb. 15 is Presidents Day, and schools will be closed.

Students who still prefer to be in school from home may do so.

Although COVID-19 metrics still show more cases and more deaths since October, metrics have shown a decrease in cases and deaths since January. This led to the board’s decision to leave the hybrid model for the full in-person opportunity Clarkdale-Jerome employed from Sept. 14 through Dec. 17, Superintendent Danny Brown said Wednesday.

However, Clarkdale-Jerome students will have a full day of online learning on Friday, Feb. 19 as the district’s employees will receive their second COVID-19 vaccine. Brown explained that this is in the event of possible side effects that may result from the vaccine.

Brown said that only one of the district’s 39 employees to receive the first vaccine in January reported any side effects. That person was Brown.

“I had a headache that evening, was really tired, and I had chills but it didn’t debilitate me,” Brown said. “I was feeling good by morning, other than a slight headache. By that afternoon, I was symptom free.”

Of the Verde Valley’s six school districts, only Mingus Union is scheduled to continue its virtual learning model beyond this week. All other school districts have returned to in-person learning.

At 6 p.m. Thursday, the Mingus Union School Board will consider reopening school to in-person learning as early as Feb. 22.

Monday, Mingus Union Superintendent Mike Westcott said that to decide when to reopen schools to in-person learning, the district’s governing board “may take into account vaccine effectiveness data and push that out another week.”

“But that will be their decision,” he said.