At its regular meeting Wednesday, the school board approved a reopening plan for elementary schools that will see the first — and youngest — groups of students return to classrooms as early as Feb. 9. The phased-in return has all students back on campus by Feb. 25, with TK to second-grade students returning by Feb. 12, and third, fourth, and fifth graders returning Feb. 23-25.
A bulletin sent to families Thursday afternoon by elementary principals highlighted the following:
- Our reopening is contingent upon the county’s case numbers falling and remaining below 25 per 100,000 for 5 consecutive days. On the 6th day we will be eligible to reopen. We will provide an update on the first day cases fall below the threshold. The earliest date we will reopen is February 9.
- We will reopen by grade level, cascading additional grade levels in each subsequent day.
- Once we reopen kindergarten we will be considered reopened and will continue to reopen additional grade levels.
The district communication said many of the questions families may have can be answered in the full reopening plan developed late last year, before a surge in COVID-19 cases in Alameda County (and across the state) triggered a delay in reopening plans.
In the bulletin sent Thursday to Beach families, Principal Michael Corritone said PUSD would share additional information in the days ahead, including in a trischool parent meeting on Zoom. PUSD maintains a series of COVID information links on its home page, and Corritone said reopening updates will be shared there as well.
A reopening slide deck shared with Beach families noted that students will remain in the same cohort on their return to campus. Among the detailed health and safety guidelines is a stipulation that masks are required — gaiters and bandannas will not be allowed as substitutes.