Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) Superintendent Tara Taupier released a statement on Friday, Mar. 19 announcing that after spring break TUHSD will switch from its current three student cohorts to two. 

Safety regulations will remain the same. Masks, hand washing, and disinfecting surfaces will all be enforced by faculty. However, in order to accommodate a larger number of students on campus, social distancing in classrooms will decrease from six feet to four feet, according to the current public health requirements. 

Apr. 12 and Apr. 19, the first two Mondays after spring break will remain fully virtual. State-mandated assessments will take place on those two Mondays.

 “Thereafter, Monday’s will be held in person with cohort rotations. We will provide an updated schedule prior to April 12th. Each school site will communicate specifics about cohort assignments prior to spring break,” Taupier said. 

TUHSD plans to continue with two cohorts through Spring 2021. In Fall 2021, the district will return to full time in-person learning. The district will reveal more information for families whose students require remote learning in the fall. 

If the current four feet social distancing regulations persist into the fall semester, tents will serve as temporary classrooms to allow for all students to be on campus. The district also expects that COVID-19 safety regulations such as masks, hand-washing, and sanitizing surfaces will remain the same in the fall. 

High School 1327 (HS 1327) Assistant Principal Nate Severin looks forward to two cohorts after spring break. “As long as we are abiding by the updated guidelines… In my perspective, getting more kids back on campus is a positive thing,” Severin said.  

However, more students on campus poses more concerns for students and staff. 

“A question that comes up for me is currently with contact tracing, if somebody tests positive we have to trace people who have been in close contact. Close contact means within six feet for fifteen minutes or more. Is the definition for close contact going to change with the new social distancing regulations? Are we going to have a more time-consuming contact tracing process?” Severin said. 

With just three cohorts, Severin said, “It took me maybe five hours total to [complete contact tracing for] one student on Monday, [Mar. 15].”

Many in the HS 1327 student body are anxious to return to a somewhat normal school environment. Sophomore Nadine Abouelseoud thinks two cohorts will make school feel more normal.

 “I think it will be fun because it resembles normal school again,” Abouelseoud said.

As freshmen and transfer students experience HS 1327 for the first time, making friends is vital to them. With only two cohorts, HS 1327 students have the opportunity to meet new people as well as see old friends. 

“I think [two cohorts] will be interesting because… there’s more of a chance that one of your friends will be in your cohort,” Abouelseoud said.  

Freshman Jackson Oliver-Roa moved to the HS 1327 community recently. 

“I’m excited to meet more new people, make more new friends, and be on campus more frequently,” Oliver-Roa said. 

While the switch from three cohorts to two may pose some challenges for school staff and administrators, many on campus look forward to the new sense of normalcy and opportunities provided by more students on campus.