CCSD has announced a return to in-person learning for Pre-K to 3rd-grade students. After months of deliberation, the decision to bring back young students to partial in-person learning comes as a relief to those pushing for opening schools – and also raises questions about the timetable for other students’ return.

“On January 14, 2021, the Clark County School District Board of Trustees approved a Memorandum of Agreement between the District and the Clark County Education Association to transition students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 3 into the hybrid instructional model,” CCSD stated in a tweet. “The implementation of the hybrid instructional model for students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 3 will begin on Monday, March 1, 2021, for students.”

This change serves as a stepping stone for the eventual return of other grade levels.

“Throughout the second semester, the District will work to transition additional grade levels to the hybrid instructional model; however, there is currently no timeline for this transition. As the safety and health of our students and staff is a priority, the District will implement the safety and health protocols in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Southern Nevada Health District,” CCSD tweeted.

Many students feel that their underclassmen are too young to understand the gravity of the situation and should stay home.

“I don’t think Pre-K to 3rd-grade students completely understand the direness of COVID-19,” sophomore Daphne Huang said. “I don’t think this decision is smart since things like masks will be difficult for younger kids. It’s better for them to stay home.”

Similarly, many teachers feel that it is unsafe to allow children to physically attend school.

“As a teacher and a parent, I feel that with about 4 months left in the school year, it is probably better that all CCSD students continue with online education. The COVID-19 positive rate in Nevada is still continuing to increase and it is very risky for both teachers and students to be exposed to the virus and pass it on to their loved ones at home who are vulnerable to the virus,” Geometry and Algebra IIH teacher Maria Terada said. “Teachers with kids who are too young to go to school will be forced to put their kids in daycare and in turn, will put more stress on the teacher’s end for taking the risk of exposing their own child to the virus.”