Cottonwood-Oak Creek to reopen Jan. 19

COTTONWOOD — Tuesday, the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School Board stuck with its Jan. 12 decision to reopen school to in-person learning on Jan. 19.

According to Board President Eric Marcus, Tuesday’s discussion centered on current COVID-19 metrics, as well as vaccine availability.

With metrics “not significantly different from a week ago,” the board affirmed its decision a week ago to reopen school the after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Marcus said.

“Our goal is to provide the best in-classroom education for our students,” Marcus said. “We implore all parents to partner with us to keep classrooms open by keeping their children home if they have been exposed to COVID-19 so that we do not have to quarantine classrooms.”

As of Tuesday, 198 of the district’s employees and volunteers will take the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine either Thursday or on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Beginning Jan. 19, in-person learning at Cottonwood-Oak Creek will be available Monday through Thursday, with Friday a virtual learning day for all students.

According to the district’s four-day-plus-one overview, teachers will provide full-day instruction for in-person students Monday through Thursday but will also monitor virtual students with the help of district personnel when needed.

Fridays, the district’s teachers will be available on site for virtual and fifth-day remote students. Teachers who are not asked to provide support to virtual or fifth-day remote students will provide on-site support to identified students and be provided with weekly planning time.

Even when campuses reopen, any student will be able to opt for virtual learning.

Cottonwood-Oak Creek’s four-day-plus-one overview can be found at cocsd.us.