The San Diego Unified School District and local educators announced plans Thursday to fully re-open campuses based on when declining COVID-19 case rates and increased vaccinations make it safe.
School leaders agreed on a reopening framework dependent on the availability of vaccines to all school staff who wish to receive them and the continued reduction of case rates in the communities surrounding schools.
They also agreed to continue working together to ensure that all necessary safety measures are in place on every campus.
In addition, educators and school leaders are re-engaging with UC San Diego health experts to guide their work to reach a formal agreement to ensure the safety of students, staff and the community.
In a joint statement from the district and the San Diego Education Association, the union that represents teachers and other educators, officials said, they “will continue to follow the science and take all measures to protect our community from this deadly disease,” and expressed their confidence in the Biden Administration’s vaccination efforts.
They added that they “are committed to returning to in-person learning in the fall,’ but will maintain an online option for families who do not feel comfortable coming on campus.
“For those who continue to worry about our ability to operate safely in the middle of this pandemic, we have the latest safety measures in place in every school, and our testing program is expanding rapidly. We will not cut corners on safety, and our widespread testing program should give everyone confidence in our commitment to remain vigilant against the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” the statement concluded.
In stressing the importance of vaccinating educators and other school staff, school leaders also said they hope to encourage California leaders to move more quickly on vaccine rollout for teachers.
While educators and school leaders also said lower case rates are critical to reopening safely, they plan to continue following research on how vaccine proliferation impacts the spread of the virus.
