It's the news that many Oakland families have been longing to hear.
Classrooms may be able to reopen as soon as the end of this month.
After weeks of negotiations, the Oakland Unified School District and the teachers’ union announced late Sunday they had reached a tentative agreement that would allow pre-k through 2nd grade classrooms to reopen starting March 30.
Third through 5th grade students would return to class on April 19.
No date has been announced yet for older students.
"That’s a very exciting thing for a lot of people," OUSD Spokesman John Sasaki said. "I know that our staff is very excited to see their kids, even some of our staff that’s concerned about coming back. We understand that."
New air filters and a plan for mask distribution to students and staff are among the COVID-19 safety measures put in place, Sasaki added.
Families would be allowed to keep their kids at home in distance learning, if they prefer. "It is the intent, it is the priority for us to open our schools as safely as possible," OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said last month.
Parents had been surveyed to get a feel for how many were ready for their children to return to classroom education.
"(We did that) to really get a sense of how many families are interested in-person instruction now versus still wanting the option of distance learning," she added.
Despite the approval of union leaders, opposition to the agreement has already formed among some teachers and community members. A group calling itself "Equal Opportunity by Any Means Necessary" is calling on the teachers’ union to reject the agreement.
The Oakland Education Association is expected to vote on it this week.
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