On Thursday, October 8, the FCUSD School Board voted for the hybrid schooling return dates for students and teachers. Elementary schools will return at the beginning of Trimester 2 on November 9. High schools will open on January 4 at the beginning of Semester 2. Middle schools are slated to return on November 30, which is neither at the beginning of Folsom Middle School and Sutter Middle School's Trimester 2 (November 9) nor at the beginning of second semester (January 4) for Mitchell Middle School and Mills Middle School. 

This raises a serious issues. The MOU signed by FCUSD and FCEA agreed that return dates would be at the end of a grading period. None of the 4 middle schools are at the end of a grading period. The reasoning for the end of the grading period was to reduce disruption as students' and teachers' schedules are likely to change depending on which teachers and students return to the hybrid schedule and which choose to participate in the Virtual Academy.

The November 30 date is especially challenging for Mitchell and Mills Middle Schools, who will be 3 weeks from the end of the semester. Grades do not transfer well in PowerSchool, and teachers of the same course do not necessarily use the same assignments at the same point values or at the same weighted amounts. For Folsom and Sutter Middle Schools, it will be disruptive either way since they will be mid-trimester with either return date. Making things better for the two schools in Rancho Cordova would be a significant improvement.

The difference between the November 30 date and the January 4 date is 3 weeks: just 6 in-class days for our middle school students. That is not worth the disruption to the middle schools in Rancho Cordova.

Additionally, teachers and families are concerned with a return right after Thanksgiving when visiting family and traveling is likely. 

Signing below indicates your support for a move to a January 4, 2021 start date for all secondary students in FCUSD.