Carmel parents call for a return to the classroom Share Updated: 7:19 PM PST Jan 21, 2021 Share Updated: 7:19 PM PST Jan 21, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript 530 CASES ARE CARMEL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS SET TO REOPEN FOR IN PERSON EDUCATION IN FEBRUARY -- BUT UNDER NEW STATE GUIDELINES THAT'S NO LONGER AN OPTION. ACTION NEWS EIGHT REPORTER CAITLIN CONRAD JOINS US LIVE IN CARMEL WITH A DETAILED LOOK AT WHAT'S BECOME A VERY DIVISIVE ISSUE IN CARMEL. DAN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVED ITS WAIVER TO REOPEN BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER BUT BECAUSE IT NEVER USED IT -- THE WAIVER IS NO LONGER GOOD UNDER NEW STATE GUIDELINES. NOW PARENTS ARE SAYING THIS IS JUST MORE EVIDENCE THAT THE DISTRICT NEVER WANTED TO GET KIDS BACK IN THE CLASSROOM. LIKE PARENTS ACROSS THE NATION...MANY FAMILIES IN CARMEL ARE FED UP WITH DISTANCE LEARNING. THIS WEEK WE MET WITH A GROUP OF 15 MOMS AND DADS WHO GAVE US A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT THEY'RE CHILDREN HAVE GONE THROUGH SINCE MARCH. 415 SETH KINKADE 00:35 IT WAS OBVIOUS VERY QUICKLY THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS LEARNING NOTHING 412 MARINA RODINA 00:40 I THINK FOR A FIVE YEAR OLD IT IS IMPOSSIBLE 00:47 419 MAYA KAKIS PECHAK 1:10 THEY ARE UPSET, THEY'RE FRUSTRATED, THEY'RE MOODY 1:16 THE PROBLEMS HAVE LED TO JUST OVER A 10 PERCENT DROP IN ENROLLMENT AT CARMEL'S THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AS PARENTS LEAVE THE MOST AFFLUENT DISTRICT IN THE COUNTY FOR IN PERSON EDUCATION AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS. 416 SARAH MILLER 1:22 MY HUSBAND I BOTH WORK AND COULDN'T PUT OUR KIDS THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR OF STARING AT A SCREEN AT HOME ALL DAY AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN IN PRIVATE SCHOOL ON CAMPUS FIVE DAYS A WEEK SINCE SEPTEMBER AND THEY ARE THRIVING. PARENT SARAH MILLER SAYS THEY'RE USING MONEY FROM THEIR THREE CHILDRENS' COLLEGE FUNDS TO COVER PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION. OTHER PARENTS HAVE CHOSEN THE HOME SCHOOL ROUTE - A DECISION THAT ALSO COME WITH SACRIFICES. 415 SETH KINKADE 1:10 BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT HAD HAPPENED MY BUSINESS HAD SUFFERED QUITE A BIT SO IT MEANT THAT WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT I HAD THE TIME TO ACTUALLY DO THE INSTRUCTION BUT FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD ALTERNATIVES -- THEY SAY THEIR KIDS ARE MISSING OUT ON THE EDUCATION THEY PAY TAXES FOR. 414 KALEO INDIGO 1:16 THERE IS SO MUCH LEARNING THAT GOES BEYOND THE ABCS AND THE 123S, JUST BY BEING PRESENT WITH ALL OF THEIR CLASSMATES AND I THINK THAT IS THE WORST THING ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS KIDS ARE SUFFERING. THE LATEST FRUSTRATION FOR THESE PARENTS IS THAT THE DISTRICT FAILED TO ACT ON A WAIVER IT RECEIVED BACK IN NOVEMBER THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE DISTRICT TO BRING BACK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IMMEDIATELY. BECAUSE CARMEL UNIFIED NEVER USED THE WAIVER IT IS NO LONGER GOOD UNDER NEW STATE GUIDELINES. TRISH DELLIS 3:45 NONE OF US HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL RIGHT NOW WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE GUIDANCE WAS GOING TO SHIFT -- AND HAD WE KNOWN THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY -- THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE OF AN URGENCY AROUND THAT WHAT WE'VE REALLY BEEN TRYING TO DO THOUGH IS LOOK AT SAFETY, I MEAN SAFETY IS THE NO. 1 ISSUE THAT WE ARE GRAPPLING WITH EVERYDAY. SAFETY IS A CONCERN AND NOT ALL PARENTS THINK NOW IS THE TIME TO BRING KIDS BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. RANDY KOCHEVAR 2:35 WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW WE PROTECT THOSE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND SO PUTTING KIDS TOGETHER IN GROUPS EVEN SMALL GROUPS IS TAKING A RISK AND RIGHT NOW WE CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE THAT RISK. MONTEREY COUNTY IS STILL SEEING CASES FROM THE POST HOLIDAY SURGE, ICU BED CAPACITY REMAINS IN THE NEGATIVE AND FOR SOME TEACHERS COMING BACK TO SCHOOL IS A RISK. BILL SCHRIER 10:11 IT DEPENDS ON THE TEACHER SO FOR EXAMPLE I HAVE TEACHERS IN THEIR 60S AND HAVE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS YOU KNOW IT'S LIKE A 63 YEAR OLD WITH DIABETES THAT'S NOBODY WOULD TELL YOU THAT IS A GOOD PLAN FOR THEM TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE BILL SCHRIER IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CARMEL TEACHERS -- AND HE SAYS SOME OF HIS UNION MEMBERS ARE DESPERATE TO GET BACK TO THE CLASSROOM... BUT NOT EVERYONE AND WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT -- IT IS THE DISTRICT AND THE BOARD THAT WILL HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION BECAUSE TEACHERS HAVE STATED THEIR POSITION. BILL SCHRIER 2:05 OUR POSITION ALL ALONG HAS BEEN THAT WE SUPPORT A RETURN TO IN PERSON LEARNING AS LONG AS PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS DETERMINE IT IS SAFE THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL AS THE MONTEREY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID JUST THAT WHEN BOTH APPROVED CARMEL'S WAIVER IN THE FALL. THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION RELEASED STUDY DATA JUST THIS MONTH SHOWING THAT THE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE HAS NOT BEEN A MAJOR CAUSE OF COVID-19 OUTBREAKS AND THAT REOPENING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS POSES A LOW RISK OF TRANSMISSION. ON A SMALL SCALE CARMEL HAS PROVEN THE RETURN TO SCHOOL CAN HAPPEN SAFELY, SMALL GROUPS OF ALL GRADE LEVELS ARE BACK ON CAMPUS ALREADY ... INCLUDING THE CHILDREN OF TEACHERS AND STAFF, THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND THOSE WITH NO INTERNET IN THE HOME. LEAVING PARENTS ASKING WHEN CAN THEIR KIDS COME BACK TOO. 416 SARAH MILLER 3:30 THE BOARD SEEMS MORE INTERESTED IN KEEPING TEACHERS HAPPY THEN STUDENTS AND I THINK WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC IT IS A TIME OF SHARED SACRIFICE BUT AT CARMEL UNIFIED PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE THE ONLY ONES MAKING SACRIFICES AND I THINK WE NEED TO START PRIORITIZING STUDENTS. UNDER THE NEW STATE GUIDELINES ANY SCHOOL THAT DID NOT OPEN WITH A WAIVER CAN NO LONGER APPLY FOR ONE AND CANNOT REOPEN UNTIL THEIR COVID-19 CASE LOAD DROPS TO 25 PER 100 THOUSAND.... MONTEREY COUNTY IS CURRENTLY EXCEEDING THAT THRESHOLD. CAITLIN -- SINCE YOUR INTERVIEW WITH THE INTERIM SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT YESTERDAY -- THERE HAVE BEEN SOME LEADERSHIP CHANGES, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAPPENED AT LAST NIGHT'S BOARD MEETING? YES THAT IS CORRECT THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT ANNOUNCED SHE WILL BE RETIRING HER POSITION ON JUNE 30TH.... SHE'S BEEN LEADING THE DISTRICT SINCE THE SPRING WHEN THE FORMER SUPERINTENDENT BARB DILL-VARGA RESIGNED... A POSITION SHE'D ONLY HELD SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2017. SO LOT'S OF SHAKE UPS