New guidance from state health officials may put a pause on plans to return students to Del Norte High School.“This does not affect any of our operations at our K-8 schools, our preschools or Sunset or community school,” said Superintendent Jeff Harris in a video message to students and families Jan. 14, just hours after the state released new guidance. “What it does mean though is we have to pay particular attention to what tier our county is in.”Under the state’s previous requirements, the district planned to bring students back to Del Norte High School for in-person morning classes starting Jan. 25, joining students in other grades who are already attending classes on school campuses.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write(''); “The effort and planning to achieve this goal has been monumental and successful,” Harris wrote in an announcement to community members. “From transportation to re-scheduling students to meeting health and safety requirements, every aspect of the plan was compliant with law and guidance and on track to be able to implement by the 25th.”But last week, the state’s department of education announced a new framework for allowing classes to reopen. Now, those decisions are firmly tied to the county’s tier assignment, and school districts are prohibited from reopening additional classes in grades 7-12 while they’re in the purple tier of restrictions, where Del Norte County sits.The changes don’t modify existing operations – grades that are already in in-person classes can continue. It also means the community-wide virus picture will determine when high school students can return to the classroom.Not everyone was happy with the district’s original plan to reopen the high school to some in-person instruction. Jenn Longrie, a Del Norte High School history and government teacher, spoke to district board members Jan. 14 on behalf of the Del Norte Teachers Association.“I want to start off by stating that educators want students back on campus dearly,” Longrie told the board. “We miss interacting with our students in person, we miss their smiling faces in the hallway, we even miss their snarky comments – or at least I do, maybe I’m only speaking for myself on that one.”Still, Longrie argued the plan to reopen wasn’t allowable in the state’s previous framework, echoing objections raised in a letter the California Teachers Association sent the district earlier the same week, before the state’s new framework.“It should also be evident that reopening a large high school for the first time during a pandemic, while Del Norte County is suffering its highest-ever case numbers is the antithesis of a sound public health decision, especially considering that the number of contacts each educator at Del Norte High School will come in contact with will be about 90 students a week, and the size of the cohorts are 350-ish students,” Longrie said.Longrie added that the online school year has been a challenge.“Schools and educators have become the social safety net for children across the country,” Longrie said. “This year has been incredibly difficult for our students, but it’s also been incredibly difficult for us educators.”Harris said district officials believed they still would’ve been operating legally if they’d kept on track with that plan. But now, under the state’s new framework, Harris said the district is bound by a stricter set of rules.“We’re really planning on opening as soon as we’re legally able,” Harris said in an interview Tuesday.That’ll require the county to be in the red tier status for five consecutive days, and the district to complete a few procedural steps, like the approval of a safety plan for the school. The state releases new tier assignments on Tuesdays.The goal for a quick reopening is to alleviate the academic, family and mental health struggles he says have been brought on by the elongated period of online learning.In Harris’ view, the changes to state metrics, which he said came in the “middle of the game,” have harmful impacts on small, rural districts, where slight fluctuations in case counts can drastically change health metrics.“We have yet to be notified by public health that we have had any person-to-person transmission in any of our schools,” Harris said. “I think that’s one of the most frustrating things.”Many of the district’s students have been on campus in-person for half days since Oct. 5. Under the state rules, schools that are open are still required to abide by health and safety procedures, like regular mask-wearing and hand-washing, among many other requirements.The district is also planning to get its staff members vaccinated against COVID-19, Harris told the board. District leaders are surveying teachers and other staff members for their interest in the vaccines, which the county’s public health department will order.Harris told the board the district plans to begin vaccinating employees by Feb. 8, and hopes to have all interested staff vaccinated by the end of March. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });