Unions representing officials from the San Francisco Unified School District said on Sunday they had reached a provisional agreement with the district to safely reopen the city’s public schools – an important step in a months-long contentious debate that pitted city officials against district leaders.
In a key component, the unions said they agreed to return to classrooms when the city is at the red level, the second least restrictive level of the California reopening plan, if employees at the site are vaccinated against the coronavirus. If the city progresses to the orange level, a less restrictive category that leads to the “moderate” spread of the coronavirus, teachers and other staff would return without vaccination.
Since San Francisco currently remains on the purple belt, the most restrictive in the state, which means that the reopenings would probably still be on track according to the union’s announced deal. When the time comes, county health officials will also have to approve current procedures.
Student district officials of 53,000 did not immediately return calls for comment on Sunday morning.
“This is a big step towards a goal that we share with so many parents: the safe reopening of school buildings for students and staff,” said the unions in a statement earlier on Sunday. “In addition to reaching agreement on basic safety standards, unions have also negotiated an innovative language that provides support to the school district for prioritization, availability and vaccine education for its members.”
The announcement comes in the wake of a week of strong pressure on unions and district officials to reopen schools closed by the pandemic.
A tearful London mayor stood before children holding placards saying “I miss my friends” at a news conference on Thursday with families and asked both sides to end the division and accuse schools of opening.
“It really breaks my heart to be here, to see these children and these families, to know what they are going through,” said Breed. “Children are fighting in our city and we all know that.”
SF public schools have been closed since mid-March, although 15,000 students from private schools in the city have returned to classrooms.
The press conference came a day after city attorney Dennis Herrera sued the district and the school board, claiming that they did not create a specific, concise plan required by the state to reopen. District officials said they had a plan.
The union and district agreement allows for a return to face-to-face instruction in the red layer of reopening the state coronavirus – which is characterized by having “substantial” spread of the coronavirus – if vaccines are made available to staff on the spot and those planning to report personally until San Francisco moves to the orange level.
Schools in the purple layer counties can open for grades K-6 if their “average adjusted case rate” is less than 25 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and they present a security plan.
County health officials allow schools to reopen with an exemption under the purple level, but it appears that the agreement announced by the union would not allow schools in the district to do so.
“This agreement sets the stage for the safe reopening of schools in San Francisco. Now we need city and state officials to prepare and make vaccines available to school staff, while UESF continues to focus on finalizing agreements around classroom instruction, schedules and continuing to improve remote learning for students. students and families who choose not to return, even with these standards in place, ”said a statement by Susan Solomon, president of United Educators of San Francisco.
This story will be updated.
Tatiana Sanchez is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez.