PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s youngest students will return to classrooms next month under a hybrid plan, Superintendent William Hite announced Wednesday.
After nearly a full year of virtual instruction because of COVID-19, about 9,000 pre-K through second-graders who have opted for in-person learning will begin a phased-in return to their classrooms on Feb. 22.
The rest of the students in the School District of Philadelphia will continue to learn online.
Hite said students will return to school on an A/B schedule to limit the number of students in buildings each day. Social distancing will be in place in classrooms, students and staff will be pre-screened for symptoms, and masks will be required for everyone.
Teachers will report to schools for training on Feb. 8. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has told the district that teachers shouldn’t return to schools without being vaccinated. But because of the short supply of vaccine doses, the city said inoculating teachers could be weeks away.
Hite has said his hybrid return is not dependent on teachers being vaccinated. He said the district will be phasing in a return to school for more students as more vaccines for adults become available.
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“Safety and family choice are our highest priorities as we slowly phase into in-person learning,” Hite said in a statement. “We have been preparing for this transition since spring 2020, and take very seriously the responsibility of putting multiple, proven layers of safety in place to safeguard the health and well-being of our students and staff.”
Hite said immunocompromised teachers would be accommodated on a case-by-case basis. “If they don't have the vaccine but have an accommodation, they could still work remotely. But if they do not have an accommodation, they will have to return.”
Other safety measures include personal protective equipment for students and staff, Plexiglas barriers in offices, and new bathroom arrangements to ensure social distancing.
The airflow in schools has been assessed, and rooms without sufficient ventilation will not be used, Hite added. And, maximum occupancy signs will be posted outside each room.
However, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan said 32 school buildings have not met airflow standards yet.
“We know that the ventilation is not good in those schools, and we have concerns about the lack of ventilation in other buildings,” he added. “(Teachers) know that children learn best when they’re receiving direct instruction in person. But there are conditions that must exist in order to make sure that the buildings are going to be safe.”
The district said any rooms that don’t meet ventilation standards will not be used.
Between now and Feb. 22, Jordan said he will continue to talk with the administration about ventilation standards, as well as a COVID-19 safety agreement reached in the fall.
The city health department may require a classroom or entire schools to be closed if there’s a COVID-19 outbreak in a school.