Planada students back in school two weeks after flooding. Creative scheduling got it done

School resumed Monday in Planada, the Merced County community still recovering two weeks after flooding that damaged homes, businesses and schools.

About 300 third- though fifth-graders were moved from Planada Elementary School to Cesar E. Chavez Middle School as classes resumed Monday morning, according to Superintendent Jose Gonzalez. Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten along with first- and second-grade instruction will take place at the elementary school on modified schedule.

Students were greeted by a D.J. as they returned to classes.

According to Gonzalez, the modified schedule means that, for example, while TK and Kindergarten classes hold enrichment activities outdoors, first- and second-grade classes will be in available areas inside the school that were not damaged by the flooding for instruction and vice versa. A similar model is taking place at Cesar E. Chavez Middle School for grades 3-5.

The elementary students moved to Cesar E. Chavez Middle School join roughly 300 sixth- through eighth-graders attending the school, according to Gonzalez.

According to Gonzalez, the district was able to source about 30-40 picnic tables while working with the California Department of Education. Partner districts such as Le Grand High School, Merced City School District and the Merced Union High School District responded to the call by supplying outdoor picnic tables.

“That’s the beautiful thing about our county, we work closely together and they’ve been super responsive,” said Gonzalez.

A total of about 29 spaces including classrooms, an administration building and a library suffered flooding damage. Gonzalez said some of the spaces were under about 6 inches to 2 feet of water. Restoration of the damaged spaces could take between 6-10 months, according to Gonzalez.

During the temporary schedule, middle school operations will run on one side of the Cesar E. Chavez Middle School campus while elementary school operations operate out of the other side. Gonzalez said the district’s goal was to design a program to focus on the needs of students and families, knowing that kids needed to be in school.

Programs such as the Expanded Learning Opportunities and ASSETS will continue to operate after school.