The Vista Unified School District fully reopened its schools Tuesday morning, becoming one of the first in the region to do so.
The district invited students back to 28 schools, eschewing some of the more cautious measures some other school districts are taking, moving into its Phase 3 reopening plan. The plan, “Vista Classic” allows every school in the district to reopen at full capacity. Parents and guardians will still be able to keep students in “Vista Virtual,” the district’s distance-learning program, if they so choose.
“Our health and safety measures were working well, with mask wearing and handwashing particularly strong on all campuses,” Vista Superintendent Matt Doyle said after visiting campuses. “We will continue to refine arrival, dismissal, and lunchtime routines for students as they relearn how to interact with their friends in this new social distancing environment.”
The district said it will attempt to have social distancing as much as possible, but will allow as many as 38 students in a single classroom, so desks will not be spaced six feet apart.
A rally Thursday by teachers and parents at Foothill Oaks Elementary School attempted to dissuade the Vista Unified School Board from reopening Tuesday, with many educators believing the safety measures inadequate.
According to KPBS, plexiglass barriers were not provided to teachers. Instead, they were given PVC pipes and plastic liner to create makeshift protection from students returning to in-person learning.
— City News Service