Dear Parents and Guardians: As you are very aware, this past school year has not been anything that anyone of us could call normal. We are certainly glad to have been able to open in hybrid in February and then in the four-day week with all students in March. Even this has not gone by without its challenges, as we have from time to time had students and even staff who have tested positive for COVID-19.

I am certainly thankful that it appears none of these people became seriously ill, and it doesn’t appear that they actually caused any spread of the disease to those they might have come into contact with in the schools. We have worked diligently to maintain clean buildings and are following the COVID-19 safe practices as best we can with all students back on their campuses. Although the CDC considers a close contact as being within six (6) feet of an infected individual for 15 minutes or more, the New Mexico Department of Health and Public Education Department have not adopted those recommendations.

At school, any student in a classroom or on a bus with a person who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 is considered a close contact. This then means, that those individuals must be isolated and must quarantine for 10 days. Individuals who have been vaccinated or who have had COVID within the last 90 days are not considered close contacts in these instances.

If a school has four (4) rapid responses within a two (2) week period, it must close for 14 days and go to remote leaning during that period and complete a deep clean of the building before reopening. We have been blessed to this point that this has not been the case at any school within the District. Regardless, PMSD must follow these guidelines if we wish to remain open. There is no certainty as to what the summer and the next school year will bring. As of today, Portales Municipal Schools is planning to return to school next year with all students in every school. Yet, the threat of COVID-19 and its restrictions make planning more difficult. The Public Education Department is providing Districts latitude in its planning and calendars for the 2021-2022 school year. Because of the issues surrounding the next school year, and the uncertainty of where the state will be over the next several months and possibly years, the District is proposing a four-day week calendar to continue through the next school year.

Although students are currently attending school four days each week this year, next year’s schedule will ensure that students will attend school the number of hours required by law. This will mean students will be in class from 8:00 a.m. – 4:10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The District intends to provide intervention on Mondays for students who are in need of additional support. Mondays can also be used by parents for doctors’ appointments or other things that families may plan. By moving to this calendar, should the need arise for the District to switch to a hybrid model, the planning will be much simpler as the Tuesday/Wednesday and Thursday/Friday hybrid days will be days students are already in school.

The longer days will help to ensure that students have sufficient time in each class to receive the instruction they need whether it be on the four-day week or on a hybrid schedule. This calendar will also provide the District a day each week to continue with the deep cleaning that is required to help ensure the safety of students and staff.

The Portales Municipal School Board will meet in Special Session at 6:00 p.m., Monday, May 3rd, 2021 in the Portales Junior High Cafeteria to discuss and possibly approve this calendar.

Interested persons may attend the meeting or send comments to calendar@portalesschools.com by Monday, May 3rd at 10:00 a.m. Comments will be considered by the Board. Again, thank you for your continued patience and support during this trying year