San Francisco is pausing the reopening of any more high schools as it faces an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
But that’s not stopping the San Francisco Unified Board of Education from considering a proposal that could see younger kids back in public schools by January. So far, Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews has only said schools won’t open until next year, but hasn’t set a target date.
Three board members have put forward a plan that would require schools to return to in-person learning by January 25, starting with students with disabilities and kids in preschool through 1st grade.
Some parents called the virtual meeting at their wits’ end.
"You cannot overestimate the amount of damage you’re doing by keeping the schools closed," said parent Meredith Osborne. "I’m very happy hear this resolution. It’s high time that the district’s being held to account."
But some school staff said everyone’s safety should be paramount.
"We strongly reject the notion of being sacrificial lambs at the altar of political convenience," said Luis Rodriguez, an elementary school principal.
Mayor London Breed, who’s concerned about the achievement gap with some private schools already open, supports the proposal.
"The Board of Education has plans to vote on a resolution to get our schools back open sooner rather than later," Breed said. "We are supportive and we are committed as a city to continue to work with them to do just that."
Meanwhile, SFUSD is preparing to reopen schools, no matter the date.
SFUSD announced Wednesday that district officials have reached an agreement with California-based Curative, Inc. for access to screening testing services for staff. The agreement "provides testing to school staff and marks a significant step in preparing SFUSD for gradually returning to in-person learning for some students starting late January," according to a news release.
Just Tuesday, Mayor Breed announced indoor dining and bar service in San Francisco would stop as of Friday night because of a 250% increase in COVID-19 cases since October 2.
A vote on the SFUSD Board’s proposal is expected next week.