Clovis Municipal School District prepares for return to in-person instruction

CLOVIS, N.M. (KAMR/KCIT) — Tuesday, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan-Grisham announced all grade levels may attend school in Hybrid Learning Mode as early as Feb. 8.

Clovis Municipal Schools said they are actively preparing to welcome their middle and high school students back for in-person instruction.

CMS said it is critical for families and the community to understand the Feb. 8 date is not a mandatory return date, but rather, the state has left the expanded return of students to the discretion of school districts and parents.

In-person instruction is governed by stringent state expectations for school districts, which must be met in order to successfully return students to the classroom. As such, families should watch for announcements from Clovis Municipal Schools in coming days, as details are confirmed said CMS.

Additionally, families who do not want their students to attend in-person classes should contact their child’s school and request placement in Cohort C. Changes to Cohort C may be made at any time, however, movement from Cohort C to A or B were only allowed at the beginning of the semester said CMS.

CMS also said it recognizes the importance of ensuring the health and safety of staff and students, as well as the need to meet state expectations and ensure ongoing success with Hybrid Learning.

In an effort to balance these important elements, District leadership is currently navigating guidance materials provided yesterday by the state, and working to implement procedures to meet requirements and expectations.

Some of the revised expectations given by the state on Tuesday include: Close contacts are now defined as someone who has an exposure of three (3) minutes or longer within six feet of a confirmed COVID-19 case, with or without a face covering, or as someone who was in the same class, Cohort, or bus as a confirmed case.