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Amidst COVID-19 Case Spikes, Bay Area Schools to Push Through Campus Reopening Proposals

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On Monday, a school district in South Bay would push through campus reopenings to establish physical learning between its teachers and students. Furthermore, several other Bay Area divisions are currently discussing resuming in-person classes despite the state’s latest spike of COVID-19 cases. In response to the plan’s implementation, San Francisco city workers would go around to inspect every classroom. The inspection process aims to secure that schools around the Bay Area have functioning sinks, movable furniture, and properly-opening windows.

According to the San Jose Unified School District, the educational institution intends to re-establish face-to-face classes, limiting the capacity of 12 to 16 students per class depending on students’ grade brackets. As a strict rule, both pupils and instructors should remain in their assigned places on the campus at all times.

SJUSD stated that regarding students with special needs, the Bay Area would grant them priority placement arrangements to ensure safe and comfortable school learning experiences. Additionally, homeless or foster care pupils, on the other hand, mandates to have at least one guardian or parent who is an essential laborer. 

Following Tuesday, the San Francisco Unified trustees would proceed to talk about the January 25 school reopening for in-person class sessions. Under the previously mentioned provision, transitional kindergarten to first-grade pupils is its main priority. The ruling also widens its scope on students with special needs. Meanwhile, the municipality’s middle and high school directors should submit their January class reopening ideas to the board.

Santa Rosa City School administrators are also contemplating back-to-school classes for their youngest students in late January next year. Aligned with this consideration, the division constructed two hybrid plans surrounding students’ returning-to-school schedules. The mixe propositions include pupils only present on the campus by morning or afternoon hours and attending in-person classroom sessions a few times every week.

Despite the proposed plans for the class reopenings, they could still be subject to changes depending on the country’s COVID-19 situation. As of late, coronavirus cases are spiking up again in the Bay Area.

Last October, hundreds of California’s public and private schools received waivers regarding implementing in-person learning within the campuses. The proposition considers more priority to younger grades as they best thrive in one-on-one educational instructions carried on by teachers when discussing school lessons.

Among the schools that proceeded with their reopenings, Lycee Francais pushed through their continuation of in-person learning starting September 8 of this year. Agnes Hogan, one of Lycee Francais’ teachers, stated that they showed both students and adults that the campus strictly follows safety COVID-19 protocols to prevent the virus’s spread.

Hogan also added that the students adapted so well to the school’s new safety guidelines for the pandemic. She pointed out that children voluntarily adhered to the rules and wore masks inside the school grounds at all times. 

As of late, dozen Marin County’s schools proceeded with their in-house learning procedures by reopening their campus doors to returning students.

The Marin County Public Health Department mandates schools to validate its so-called “elements of safety” to obtain waivers regarding campus reopenings. According to the department’s director Matt Willis, the regulations follow a strict and detailed procedure to execute. Willis stated that schools need to screen their returning students and staff before entering the school grounds and ensure the availability of testing resources. The rule also includes disinfecting practices and hiring a public health liaison put on standby if a coronavirus infection gets detected within the area.

So far, only private schools across the state moved further with their campus reopening plans. Meanwhile, public schools quietly observe the benefits and consequences of establishing face-to-face learning in these private educational institutions.