Schools

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Students in grades TK-5 in Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) will start going to school four days per week as the district shifts to Phase 3 on Monday, March 29, 2021.

South Tahoe Middle School, South Tahoe High School and Mt. Tallac High School will remain on their current Cohort A and B schedules at this time.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School (LTESMS) has started taking names for the Fall '21 roster of kindergarteners. If you have a child that will be turning five on or before Sept 1, 2021 and want to fill an open seat at LTESMS, please email the "Kindergarten Enrollment Request Form" found on the school's website to mtruszewski@ltusd.org between Jan 4 and March 26, 2021.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees will have a change December 15 with a changing of the guard on the Area 4
seat. Trustee Troy Matthews decided to not run for reelection so he could spend more time with his family which includes a new baby girl.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) leadership looked at current COVID-19 data they announced Monday they will not be shifting to the next learning phase and will remain in Phase 2.

In accordance with their Pandemic Educational Plan timeline, LTUSD concluded its assessment of the data and criteria required did not meet what was needed for a possible shift to the next phase. There has been a significant increase of COVID-19 cases over the past four weeks with 15 new cases over the weekend.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - School in South Lake Tahoe hasn't been held in-person since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) will start the process of getting kids back into the classroom on Monday, October 12.

They will make the shift from Phase 1 to Phase 2 and a hybrid schedule with elementary students attending either Monday and Tuesday (Cohort A) or on Thursday and Friday (Cohort B), all days with a four-hour schedule. The rest of the time will be distance learning.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - I wish to thank you for your patience as the District continues to work through some of the challenges involved with moving to Phase 2 Hybrid learning model. We’ve received a great amount of input from the community through emails to myself and Board members, as well as public comments at Tuesday’s Board meeting, and want to assure you that your interests and concerns are being heard.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe Community College offers noncredit citizenship classes along with English as a Second Language (ESL) and High School Equivalency (HSE) courses. Even though registration is wrapping up, the flexibility of these noncredit classes allows students to still get started.

As part of the course, they assist students in filling out forms, provide practice interviews and assist with learning English. While the class is in English, assistance is provided for students in Spanish and other languages, if needed. This quarter, the classes are via live Zoom.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - After an extensive search, Sierra Nevada University has secured a new president on August 31, 2020. Dr. Robert M. Valli, an alumnus of UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Cambridge universities, accepted the position at SNU Tahoe, replacing Dr. Ed Zschau who had been the interim president.

Dr. Valli came to SNU Tahoe from his most recent role as Dean of Long Island

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For 16 years the youth at the Juvenile Treatment Center (JTC) in South Lake Tahoe have been educated by the Blue Ridge Court School, a court school offered through the El Dorado County Department of Education.

Hello Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) friends and families. We’re down to the wire and the District is very excited to welcome you back to another school year! With all of the changes and challenges the year is sure to bring, rest assured that every staff member at LTUSD is wholeheartedly embracing them all, and looking forward to making this year cheerful, engaging, inclusive, and academically rewarding for every single student. Welcome back!

BACK TO SCHOOL

Western Nevada College is proud to announce that 93 students have qualified for the 2020 Summer Dean’s List. To earn this recognition during the summer session, students attained a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and completed six units of classes or more.

Students achieving the academic honor are:

Carson City

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. _ There is a special meeting of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) on Thursday, July 30 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss and take action on a reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Today, July 17, Gov. Gavin Newsom released enhanced school health guidance developed by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) that includes more prescriptive considerations for opening and operating schools. From the onset of this pandemic, the El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE), and the 15 school districts we serve, have emphasized the need to utilize state and local health guidance available in order to prioritize student and staff health and safety.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees will hear a draft proposal on what the reopening of school in the fall will look like at during a special meeting on July 14 at 5:00 p.m.

"We are in a unique time for public schools. We have been challenged to create plans for the start of the 2020/21 school year that will provide a quality education for our students and at the same time provide safety for us all. This is not an easy task," new LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Cutler said in his weekly email to staff, parents, and the public.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the past 27 years, Frank Kovac has been with the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD).

When he landed in South Lake Tahoe Kovac already had spent time teaching at Fairfax High School, Emerson Junior High, James Rutter Middle School, and Paul Revere Middle School, but he found his niche beginning locally at South Tahoe Middle School.

After one year at STMS Kovac took the position as athletics and activities director at South Tahoe High School (STHS), a position he held for five years.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dr. James Tarwater will be bringing his 54-year career in education to a close this month as he passes the torch to the new Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) superintendent June 30.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Attention parents of local first graders! Every first grader enrolled in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) or at Zephyr Cove Elementary School will get a brand-new, hardbound book they can keep forever!

When parents go to their LTUSD school’s designated Materials Collection Date on June 9 or June 10, one new book will be gifted to each child along with a free puppet.

Parents of first graders at Zephyr Cove Elementary will be contacted prior to the last day of school with additional details for book and puppet pickup.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With the Class of 2020 having a graduation experience unlike any in history, parents and faculty are trying to still create a remembrance now that traditional graduation ceremonies are canceled.

For South Tahoe High School (STHS), all 226 graduates received yard/window signs over the past few days. Principal Carline Sinkler, teachers, staff, and other volunteers visited each home in South Lake Tahoe with the signs provided by the Barton Foundation.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) has selected a seasoned professional with two decades of experience in California state policy and politics to fill a critical role during unprecedented and uncertain times.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) is closed, but they are sharing with parents, teachers, students, caregivers a list of free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) resources.

Due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic schools across the country, including UC Davis, are shut down. TERC has been closed its science centers and suspended regular program offerings.

They said they realize the challenges many parents who have had to home school their children may need help getting through the normal day-to-day schooling.

This week at South Tahoe High School, seniors visited the Scholarship Fair, a new school app was launched, and senior basketballers play their last home game.

On Campus

Thursday afternoon, seniors were released early from classes to experience the inaugural Scholarship Fair, an event held by the STHS counselors. Organizations like South Tahoe High School Alumni Association, Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Sierra, and El Dorado Community Foundation attended to educate the seniors on how they can earn scholarship money.

This week at South Tahoe High School, students started their spring-term classes. Winter Formal is next weekend, and basketball travels to Elko for their next league game.

On Campus
After the three-day weekend, students returned to a new schedule of classes for the last term of the 2019-2020 school year.

“I like the new classes starting because it feels like the first day of school again,” said senior Alex Boyko.

“I like my classes so far,” said sophomore Laura Marler. “This term is definitely going to be easier than my last one.”

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Education will hold a Special Board Meeting on Friday, January 24 at 10:00 a.m.

The open session meeting is a workshop for the trustees and will be facilitated by Cummings & Associates (CAAC), the consulting firm they approved to conduct a holistic analysis of the district’s organizational health. The group is not charging for their services and were recommended by Leadership Associates, the executive search firm being used by LTUSD for their superintendent search.

The students of South Tahoe High School came back from a two-week holiday vacation with motivation to finish the term and start their new year’s resolutions. Final exams are next week, Winter Formal is coming soon, and winter sports are continuing.

On Campus
Finals are next week on Thursday and Friday, which end the first term of the 2019-2020 year. While students bear down on studying, here are some of their resolutions for 2020:

Senior Nathan Carney wants to listen to a new song every day.