Lodi Unified plans return to campus this month

Lodi Unified School District students could be returning to campus next week, but in a tiered approach.

The district issued a statement late Monday afternoon stating it had reached a tentative agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lodi Education Association regarding the start of inperson instruction, which will be based on a phased-in model and modified schedules.

The LEA was in the process of voting on the agreement Monday, the district said.

If the MOU is approved, the district plans to have special day classes return to campus on Nov. 19. Students would attend classes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays.

All elementary students in the district would return to campus Nov. 30 for inclass instruction two days a week in a hybrid model.

Henderson School will also return that day on hybrid, twice-a-week model, along with Elkhorn, Houston, Lockeford, Serna and Independence schools.

Middle schools, high schools, Valley Robotics Academy and Lincoln Technical Academy will return to campus on Jan. 4, also for two days a week in a hybrid model, the district said.

Middle College High School will remain on a distance learning model as it falls under the jurisdiction of the San Joaquin Delta College schedule.

Also included is language regarding in-person instruction and all distance learning depending on the San Joaquin County’s tier assignment.

Distance learning will be provided to families who do not feel comfortable sending their children to campus, according to the agreement.

Middle and high school students can participate in on-site classes for courses not offered digitally, the agreement states.

Elementary school teachers will continue to serve all students assigned to their class, including those who

choose the distance learning option, the agreement states.

Teachers will be allowed to use any sick or personal leave if they do not want to return to campus, and could be eligible for state or federal COVID-19 leave benefits, the agreement states. In addition the district will consider transfers to remote work, depending on availability of assignments and provided teachers present the proper health documentation.

Teachers who are also caregivers for individuals with underlying conditions or who are impacted by COVID-19 will be considered for remote work on a case-by-case basis, the agreement states.

According to the agreement, both parties agreed that during the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year the district may transition from one instructional model to another as a result of health orders from San Joaquin County Public Health or California Department of Public Health.

If the county moves to a more restrictive tier in the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, implementation to either distance learning or partial in-person instruction will be implemented within 10 days.

The county is currently in the red tier, but its new case rate metric increased to 7 per 100,000 residents per day, and its health equity metric has increased to 6.2%.

If the new case rate increases to more than 7 per 100,000 residents a day, the county will be relegated to the purple tier, and the district will implement alldistance learning.

The county needs to reduce its new case rate metric to less than 3.9 cases per 100,000 residents per day to advance to the orange tier. In addition, the county’s health equity metric must be less than 5.2%.

The county’s test positivity rate remains at 4%, the only metric to qualify for advancing to the orange tier.

The MOU can be viewed on the district’s website at tinyurl.com/LUSDmou1119.