ALVORD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Despite this past week marking the first time Riverside County's COVID-19 Community Level reached High, the recent surge is showing early signs of flattening, according to public health officials. That's welcome news with the start of school around the corner.

On June 30, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) published its guidance for K-12 schools for this coming school year. Find the guidance here. When our schools open on August 4th, we will follow CDPH guidelines and safety strategies, which include keeping our indoor spaces well ventilated, routinely disinfecting all indoor spaces and all high touchpoint surfaces, teaching and reinforcing hand-washing and cough and sneeze etiquette, and using antigen tests to manage students and adults diagnosed with COVID or exposed to COVID. Our COVID Call Center will remain open to assist schools and families.

Regarding face covering (mask), we will continue to follow CDPH guidelines while working closely with the Riverside County Department of Public Health for local guidance. While wearing a mask in school will remain a personal choice when we open school on August 4, children and adults at high risk for severe illness should talk to their healthcare provider about whether it is necessary to wear face covering and take other precautions. We will provide masks to anyone who needs one.

All after school activities and events, including our Prime-Time and Half-Time after school programs, athletics, performing arts, clubs, etc....will proceed following CDPH safety guidelines, and in the case of athletics, CIF guidelines too.

In last week's message I announced that Alvord has established an independent Office of School Safety dedicated to working closely with local law enforcement specialists and emergency preparedness and response teams to examine the safety, security, emergency management, and preparedness of all school buildings and grounds.

The first priority is conducting comprehensive points of entry evaluations at every school site. The process is one part of our threat assessment program conducted in partnership with experts in the field of threat assessment.

Threat assessment is one component of our overall strategy to prevent school violence. Threat assessment is implemented in the larger context of strategies designed to create cultures and climates of safety, respect, and emotional support within our schools.

Our high school associated student body leadership teams united as one at Hillcrest High School this past Wednesday for a day of leadership development and school activities planning. The goal for the day was to help our student leaders create the most supportive and inclusive community possible within their schools. As a former high school principal myself, I believe that the more students participate in activities, the more they feel comfortable and connected to school...and the more connected students are to school, the more successful they will become in school and in life. The Envolve™ leadership training focuses on using data, anecdotes and examples from around the country to challenge and enable our students to step outside themselves and see student activities through the eyes of those they’re leading. Our high school student leaders will work with our middle school student leaders and Envolve™ to support our middle school student activities programs too.

We assist parents through the process of establishing a home-based educational program. The first step is to provide us notification of your intentions. If you are considering the Home Based Independent Study Program for 2022-23 and have not notified us yet, please complete the program survey through your ParentSquare account here and you will be contacted by the program administrator.

Or, to register your student, follow these four steps:

1. Review the Home Based Program information https://www.alvordschools.org/Page/13716 and determine if the program is appropriate for your student.
   
   
2. If you feel your student would be successful in Alvord USD's Home Based Program, complete the application form at the following link: https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/13200855
   
   
3. Once your home school administrator receives your application, the approval process will take 3-5 business days.
   
   
4. If your student is approved you will be sent, via email, a welcome letter and all class information from the program administrator within 2 business days.

Please direct your questions regarding Alvord's Home Based Program to our Alternative Education Programs Department at homebased@alvordschools.org or call 951-509-6120

On July 14, 2022 the Board of Education acted to place a $248 million local school improvement bond measure on the November 2022 ballot. If approved by 55% of local voters, bond measure revenue would fund school site safety enhancements, updated technology, modernized facilities, and new construction for workforce development career programs.

Funding would focus on:

• Repairing deteriorating spaces and modernizing campuses
• Enhancing disaster safety measures such as fire-safety systems and earthquake retrofitting
• Replacing and installing new equipment and adding features that strengthen campus security and threat prevention/detection, such as fencing, outdoor lighting, and cameras
• College and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs through new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning spaces

The measure is limited to cost no more than $60 per $100,000 of assessed value (not market value) annually, or less than $175 per year for the typical homeowner over the life of the bond. Fiscal accountability includes the provision that no funds can be used for administrator salaries or pensions. A citizens’ oversight committee will be set up and independent annual audits would be required.

The measure will appear on the November 8, 2022 general election ballot. All registered voters within Alvord Unified School District will be able to vote on the measure.

Below is a QR code for a bond survey. Please complete the survey at your earliest convenience.

You may have received a phone message, text, or email this past week to complete data confirmation. If you need assistance registering for school or confirming your data in Aeries, in-person support is available Monday - Friday from 9 am to 3 pm at the Keller Center, Building C. Located at 10365 Keller Avenue Riverside, CA 92505. Or call, 951 509 5014.

If you haven't activated your Parent Square yet, watch the brief video on Parent Square below and activate your account today. For more information on Parent Square visit our Parent Square home page here.

On behalf of the Board of Education, we look forward to opening the 2022-23 school year on August 4. We are well prepared and confident to deliver the first-class educational experience our students deserve and our community expects.

In partnership,

Allan Mucerino

When the 2022-23 school year begins on August 4, we will begin tracking positive COVID cases again. During the 2021-22 school year, a total of 3,476 students and 470 staff members reported a positive test for COVID-19. Find weekly updates on COVID-19 Data Dashboard here. Cases recorded on the Dashboard are confirmed by Riverside County Public Health officials and remain on the Dashboard for 14 days.

Riverside County Data COVID-19 Community Level
Level: High (last week Medium)

Recommended actions based on current level

Wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation. Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Get tested if you have symptoms. If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider taking additional precautions.

Weekly Metrics Used to Determine the COVID-19 Community Level

Case Rate per 100,000 population: 374.61 (Last Week 312.24)

New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population: 10 (Last Week 8.2)

% Staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 7.2% (Last Week 6.3%)

This data is as of July 22, 2022, as reported on the State's tracking web site.

Email: 2Superintendent@alvordschools.org
Website: https://www.alvordschools.org
Location: 9 Kpc Parkway, Corona, CA 92879, USA
Phone: 951) 509-5000
Facebook: facebook.com/alvordunified
Twitter: @AlvordUnified