Districts deal with closures, remote learning due to fires

May 12—Marvin MacAuley, superintendent of Mora Independent Schools, was aiding in the evacuation of a friend's home in Black Lake.

West Las Vegas High School teacher Michele Varner was tending to displaced shelter pets at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds.

Angela Martinez's three school-aged kids were waiting for the power to come back on in their Mora home.

Los Alamos Public Schools closed as residents prepared for a possible evacuation.

Wednesday was not a normal school day for staff and students in Northern New Mexico communities affected by wildfires. Mass evacuations over the last few weeks have led to lower school attendance, class cancellations and a return to online learning just days away from the school year's end — and the celebrations that come with it.

Mora students haven't set foot on campus since late April, when the district shuttered schools due to the fire. Now, some district buildings have become incident command posts for wildland firefighters tackling the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.

The district shifted this week to Edgenuity, an online curriculum familiar to many who engaged in remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic. But it hasn't been a smooth transition.

MacAuley estimates only about 60 percent to 70 percent of the district's staff were available to help with online lessons, with many sheltering in remote locations. At least one teacher lost needed technology to the fire.

Other districts have been providing wireless hot spots and computers to students displaced by the fire, he said. While he expects some students to transfer to other schools to finish the year, he said mandatory end-of-year exams have been completed and the district is "done with 90 percent of our curriculum already."

Students' grades will be based on assignments they've already completed.

Still, the district has a summer "session" planned for students, set to kick off June 6 if conditions improve.

"We're going to lean heavy on social emotional learning and also provide some academic support as well," MacAuley said. "We just want to be there for the kids through this tragedy. It's been quite traumatic for quite a few of my students."

The Mora district has applied for state funds for a program that would extend learning time for students at all grade levels in the next school year, a pilot program called K-12 Plus. "I think we need it more than ever right now," MacAuley said.

Martinez, who has two daughters in high school and a son in elementary school, said her family left their home April 29 to live with her father on the outskirts of Las Vegas, N.M.

"The whole idea of having to relocate them has been hard," she said.

She was traveling Wednesday with her two daughters — members of the high school softball team. Travel during the playoff season made things more complicated, she said, and the fire derailed graduation plans for her 18-year-old, Marisol.

"It's not something anybody wants to go through," Martinez said.

Students at a Las Vegas district also shifted to remote learning this week.

Laryssa Archuleta, superintendent of Las Vegas City Schools, said the change was due to ever-changing conditions related to the fire.

As of Tuesday, at least a quarter of students were evacuated, Archuleta said. Most were staying with family and a handful were in shelters. Archuleta estimates about 20 percent of her staff may have evacuated the area as well.

The district printed out learning packets for students who lack internet access or left their computers behind, but Archuleta said few have come to pick them up.

"When the emergency happened, it is very understandable some students left without their devices," Archuleta said. "I have a concern for attendance. However, as long as they make contact with us ... we understand they would need to be excused."

Archuleta said Bernalillo Public Schools has provided extra hot spots for students and offered practice space for athletes.

Diplomas likely will be distributed to seniors based on coursework completed ahead of evacuations, she said, noting the Class of 2022 has had a far-from-traditional high school experience.

"My heart breaks for this senior class, but they've shown a lot of tenacity and resiliency," she said. "We are very proud of them and what they've been able to do."

The Las Vegas district is using the state's extended learning time program to cushion the impact of the fire-related closures, pushing the school year's end to June 2, Archuleta said, and summer enrichment will be available after that.

While thick smoke still hangs in the air over the city, West Las Vegas School District Superintendent Christopher Gutierrez called students and staff back to classrooms Monday morning following a weeklong closure. He said he had consulted with law enforcement and forestry officials and determined it was safe.

"I made sure the air quality in my building was going to be safe for my kids in person," he said, adding custodial staff checked on air filters in classrooms to make sure they were updated and running.

About 60 percent of students showed up for class Tuesday, Gutierrez said, and he expected more to return later in the week.

The district had to reschedule its end-of-year testing and is awaiting approval for a waiver from the New Mexico Public Education Department so it can avoid an extended school year.

History teacher Varner said she had to leave in the middle of the day April 29 when she learned from a friend her house was suddenly in an evacuation zone near United World College.

When the district announced a return to in-person learning, she took leave Tuesday and Wednesday, unprepared to head back to her Las Vegas home from Santa Fe, where she was assisting at the fairgrounds with shelter animals displaced by the fire.

Varner said she wasn't the only person absent. Some of her students had been camping to avoid the flames. She said she wished the district had switched to remote learning; she was worried about the effects of smoke.

"We all needed a day or two to sort of transition and get ourselves unpacked," she added.