LCPS board asks administration for plan by Feb. 16 to allow for phased-in return of students

UPDATE: The LCPS board voted Tuesday night to have the administration provide a plan that would allow for more face-to-face instruction following state guidelines to begin Feb. 22 in phases.

That plan will be presented to the board for their review at a meeting on Feb. 16.

ORIGINAL REPORT: LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Tens of thousands of Las Cruces educators, students and staffers are waiting to learn if students will head back to the classroom in the next few weeks.

The Las Cruces Public Schools board was meeting Tuesday at 4 p.m. to discuss and decide whether classrooms will reopen - and if so, when.

"We know that we are going back to school at some point," Superintendent Karen Trujillo told ABC-7 on Monday. "The timeline when that happens is yet to be determined."

Exactly one week ago, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham gave each individual district in New Mexico the option to bring back their students in a hybrid model.

There will be a three-week transition period between when the board votes yes and students return, Trujillo explained. The earliest students could head back to the classroom would be Feb. 22, according to a district spokeswoman.

"Regardless of the decision that's made, there are still going to be people that are unhappy, and we know that," For people to please understand that this is a difficult decision to make."

You can watch the school board meeting below in its entirety.