Schools: S.F., Napa County closer to inclass learning
San Francisco students could start heading back to classrooms in two weeks after the city gained a new state coronavirus classification allowing more businesses and community activities to resume.
The state classified San Francisco as a “red” county Friday, allowing schools to conduct inperson classes if that status holds steady for 14 days.
Napa County, which has 20,000 public school and 2,500 private school students, was also put in red status. All other
Bay Area counties are “purple,” which is more restrictive and means they will need to use a waiver process to reopen schools.
A red classification doesn’t mean all schools will reopen, because counties can still place
stricter rules on the process than the state requires. In addition, schools would still need to meet all health and safety guidelines required by health officials.
Still, the news was likely to be well received by those concerned about children losing ground academically in distance learning and struggling emotionally as they remain isolated from peers and dependent on a screen for school work and social activities.
At the same time, the state’s announcement was sure to create tension across San Francisco, with many parents pushing for schools to reopen, while some health officials and unions are expected to push back, fearing the safety of workers and a surge in COVID19 cases.
It could take weeks if not months for San Francisco Unified public schools, serving 53,000 students, to reach reopening agreements with local labor leaders, including those representing teachers, who have urged administrators to remain cautious in reopening. Officials from the United Educators of San Francisco said they were not ready to comment on the city’s new status.
Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement, San Francisco health officials didn’t bar reopening, but rather said that any school that wants to reopen for inperson instruction would need to submit an application that includes a safety and protocol plan.
“A top priority for the City is to return all children to learning developments so they continue to grow and develop,” San Francisco Department of Public Health officials said in a statement. “While the state provides guidance, local jurisdictions must make decisions based on our current health indicators that monitor the spread of the virus in our communities and assess our ability to respond to the pandemic.”
In other words, San Francisco public schools and many private schools are unlikely to open when the state says they
can.
San Francisco has more than 100 public schools, many with space constraints, poor ventilation and other issues that still need to be addressed. But more importantly, the teachers will have to agree to come back to inperson instruction. The California Teachers Association has generally opposed a return until case counts are very low and resources are in place to protect staff and students.
“This is a dynamic situation,” said Superintendent Vincent Matthews. “We are looking forward to returning to inperson instruction as soon as data and science suggest it is safe enough to do so.”
Permission from the state is just one factor in the process, he said, which also requires getting sites ready, getting health and safety supplies and other steps.
“Reopening while the pandemic is still present is not going to happen with the flip of a switch in Sacramento,” Matthews said. “I wish it were that simple.”
Most counties across the state remained in the purple range, but students in those regions could also return to inperson learning after applying for a waiver with county health officials, which requires local and state approval.
In San Francisco, private schools are more likely to open before public ones. Already, 50 private and parochial schools and three charter schools are expected to apply for a waiver, city officials said Friday, representing 10,000 students.
The waiver review would continue in San Francisco, health officials said, with approvals expected to take two to four weeks. Applications went out Friday to the 53 schools that expressed intent to apply.
At Adda Clevenger School in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood, administrators said they would still pursue the waiver process despite the new red status, given the possibility the county won’t follow the state recommendation. A waiver would guarantee reopening in the coming weeks.
The 130student school has 20,000 square feet of space to maintain social distancing, and the staff was tested Friday for the coronavirus — and will continue to be tested at least once a month, exceeding county requirements, said Ben Harrison, director of operations.
“We’re very eager,” he said. “We really think we can do it.”
All schools reopening will be expected to mandate face coverings, space desks at least 6 feet apart and ensure good ventilation, San Francisco health officials said. In addition, all staff must test negative for COVID19 before the reopening, with teachers and other workers tested at least once every two months.
County health officials said they will likely visit sites to ensure compliance before the schools can reopen.
Until all public schools in San Francisco reopen full time for all kids, however, at least 6,000 children are expected to attend cityrun learning hubs placed at libraries, parks or other facilities. Up to 40 hubs are expected to start opening across the city on Sept. 14. The hubs would offer supervision, internet access and academic support to students participating in distance learning.
Initially, priority for a space in a hub will be given to homeless students, children in foster care, English learners and children from lowincome families.
Waiver approvals and hub openings will be done on a rolling basis, officials said.
As San Francisco continues to expand the reopening of businesses and other activities, the priority will be on the needs of families and students, Mayor London Breed said.
“It pains me that there are parks, there are playgrounds that are empty,” Breed said. “That we don’t hear the noise and sounds of children in schoolyards.”
The district started the school year Aug. 17 in universal distance learning, with plans to phase in inperson instruction.
It’s possible that even after reopening, many schools will maintain a hybrid schedule to limit the number of students in classrooms each day.
Until the state and counties allow classrooms to reopen, waivers for schools in “purple” counties will be granted only to elementary schools or for students in grades K6.
State officials recommended that waivers be considered only when coronavirus infection rates fall below 200 cases per 100,000 people for a twoweek period.
San Francisco’s case rate was 127.7 for the past two weeks, which was low enough to grant waivers, but not low enough to get off the state watch list before Friday, which required a rate of less than 100 cases per 100,000 people.
Across California, 112 schools have been granted waivers by the state and local counties, the vast majority in Orange and San Diego counties. San Diego, however, was removed from the state monitoring list, allowing all schools to reopen on Sept. 1.
So far, only one Bay Area school has reopened classrooms, Sunnyvale Christian School, which was granted a waiver on Monday.