During a special meeting Wednesday morning, the William S. Hart Board recognized emergency conditions and set up a 2020 action plan for the Fall school semester.

The Hart Board unanimously voted to move forward with the emergency conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic until the end of the Fall semester, with discussion for a possible extension set for a meeting in December 2020. 

The emergency conditions authorize the superintendent to take any and all actions necessary to ensure the continuation of public education, and health and safety of the students and staff.

“As of March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency to enable state and local agencies to more effectively respond to the threat of the spread of COVID-19,” reads the agenda. 

The Hart Board voted in a previous meeting to have the first five weeks of the Fall semester online, with the district working toward a “blended” model. 

On July 15, it was voted unanimously by the board that Hart District schools classes resume August 11, for five weeks through the first progress report period until Sept. 11, and will work toward moving into a blended model option with training for teachers to begin as early as July 16 an end goal of full classroom settings.

“This plan affirms the board’s commitment to reinitiate in-person instruction options as soon as it is safely possible to do so,” said Mike Kuhlman, superintendent of the Hart District. 

See Related: Hart District Votes To Begin Fall Semester Online, Work Towards ‘Blended’ System

Since the Hart Board vote, Newsom announced the state is not allowing schools to reopen for in-person learning until their county is off the COVID-19 “watch list” for at least two weeks, according to Kuhlman.

As of Wednesday, Los Angeles County remains on the “watch list” with all-time highs in hospitalization numbers reported this month, according to the Department of Public Health. 

The Hart Board voted Wednesday to allow teachers the flexibility to work from home or on campus during the time of 100 percent distance learning, according to Kuhlman.

Kuhlman recommended allowing teachers the flexibility to work from their assigned classrooms or from home as long as the Hart District can ensure all professional obligations are met and instruction is delivered in a fashion that meets the “high expectations” of the district.

This recommendation is expected to remain in place only during 100 percent online instruction, schools are not closed for staff and teachers could be asked to go to campus with safety protocols in place. 

The superintendent said that increased safety protocols for COVID-19 are set to be in place before any students are allowed to be on campus. 

Some of the board members shared concerns with the $2 million needed for upgrades manded by the state for COVID-19 safety protocols, and asked district staff if there are any additional funds.  

Currently, the campuses are allowed to be open for staff, but just not in-person instruction, according to the superintendent.

“The schools are not closed, there is no stay-at-home order as there was in the Spring,” Kulman said. “Educational staff members are deemed essential employees, therefore they can come to campus, as long as those safety measures are in place.”

See Related: Schools Must Remain Closed Until L.A. County Is Off ‘Watch List’ For Two Weeks 

At schools, there are hand sanitizing stations in place, cleaning protocols with sanitation staff trained on COVID-19 prevention measures, according to district staff.

In conversations with county public health, it is not uncommon for school sites to welcome staff back on campus, ahead of the students, Kuhlman said. 

For the Hart District to reach the goal of a blended option by the Sept. 11 date, Los Angeles County as a whole would have to be off the COVID-19 “watch list” by Aug. 28. 

Counties in the state can be on this “watch list” for one or more of several reasons:

• Not achieving more than 150 tests per day per 100,000 people
• More than 100 cases per 1,000 residents
• Case positivity rates greater than 8 percent
• 10 percent or more increase in hospitalizations over the past three days
• Less than 20 percent of ICU beds available
• Less than 25 percent of ventilators available

If Los Angeles County remains on the list, the Hart District is expected to discuss a possible extension for distance learning.

Ed. Note: KHTS reporter David Melnarik contributed to this story. 

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