The Rio School District in Oxnard is going the extra mile to make distance learning work for all of its students – many of whom are facing extra challenges during the pandemic. Nearly seventy percent of the students in this K-8 district are socioeconomically disadvantaged and about half are learning to be proficient in English. 

Before the school year began, the district made sure every student had a computer and access to the internet. “We hunted down Wi-Fi hot spots until the cows came home,” says Rio’s Superintendent Dr. John Puglisi. The district is even picking up the tab for internet service for families who can’t afford it. The efforts are paying off with 97 percent of students attending their online classes during the first weeks of the school year.

Nearly everyone who works for the district is helping with tech support. Puglisi recalls a principal getting a call from a first grader whose parents don’t speak English seeking help setting up his hot spot. The principal walked him through it until he was able to get online. Rio teachers also make a point to check in with students on their emotional health, and staff members even make home visits to support students who need extra assistance. 

The district has plans in place to safely welcome students back to campus once it’s allowed by state and local health regulations. To comply with social distancing requirements, the district will likely start off with a hybrid schedule where students are in class for two half-days per week and continue with distance learning the rest of the week.
To help prepare for reopening, the district ran a pilot project where small groups of students returned to class for a summer literacy program. They set up socially distanced indoor and outdoor learning areas and discovered that frequent reminders about safety protocols are key – for both students and adults. During the 16 days the program was in operation, there were no cases of COVID-19 among students or staff.

When schools do reopen, one of the biggest hurdles districts will face is providing transportation while maintaining safe social distancing on buses. That’s why Rio is exploring the possibility of opening a temporary school in the Nyeland Acres neighborhood bordered by Highway 101 and Rice Avenue. “It doesn’t make sense to have hundreds of kids struggle to get to us when we could go to them,” Puglisi says.

While distance learning has put a strain on students, parents and school staff, Puglisi says there have been a few silver linings to the crisis. Many teachers are connecting at a deeper level with their students and their families, and staff at all levels are collaborating more to find innovative ways to serve kids. He also says the unprecedented disruption in normal operations has shined a spotlight on the tremendous value that schools provide to their communities.