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What Will Next Year Look Like? Las Cruces Public Schools Awaits Guidance

  

  Following an unprecedented 2020-2021 school year spent mostly remote, students, parents and staff in Las Cruces Public Schools are eagerly awaiting updated guidance on what the next school year will look like.  

Friday, the New Mexico Public Education Department issued a statement following newly released guidance from the CDC regarding K-12 school. Among many recommendations, the CDC concluded that students learn best in-person, and a full return to the classroom should be a priority. The CDC also recommended parents continue to take advantage of vaccination opportunities to protect their kids from COVID-19, and that people do not need to wear masks outdoors. Most notably, the CDC advised that anyone over the age of two who is not fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask indoors.  

           "This is the news we have been waiting for,” said LCPS Superintendent Ralph Ramos. “The new school year is a month away, and parents want to know what to expect in the coming year. For those of us at the district level, who are preparing buildings and classrooms for a full return, guidance can’t come soon enough.” 

           Ramos said he has been in regular communication with PED officials on an updated COVID-19 toolkit, which provides guidance to public school districts on regulations related to mask usage, surveillance testing, disinfecting protocols and reporting. Friday, the PED acknowledged they were reviewing the CDC’s recommendations.  

          “We’re glad to receive this additional guidance from the top medical authorities in the nation,” a spokesperson for the PED said in a statement Friday. “The public health experts at the New Mexico Department of Health will now review the new CDC guidelines and advise the Public Education Department as we determine what’s best for New Mexico schools going forward. We expect our updated guidance, which will be announced upon completion, to align closely with the CDC’s recommendations and to continue making the health and safety of children a priority.”  

          The PED released its most recent COVID-19 toolkit in April, which relaxed restrictions for school choirs and wind instruments to allow for singing and playing indoors. Mask usage was still a requirement at the end of the spring semester, but whether masks will again be required in the fall semester remains unclear. 

The first day of school for LCPS students in grades one through 12 is Monday, Aug. 9, with kindergarten transition days beginning Aug. 10. A copy of the 2021-2022 calendar can be found here.