CLEVELAND, Ohio – Five of the seven school districts that failed to meet Governor Mike DeWine’s March 1 deadline are in northeastern Ohio.
The state estimates that about 200,000 coronavirus vaccines have been distributed in the K-12 school staff’s vaccination program, although these are not the final numbers. The first round of doses is almost complete, with a school ending vaccinations this week. Some of these officials have already received the second shot.
Ohio prioritized school staff as part of an effort to get students back to buildings and out of remote learning. In exchange for returning to face-to-face or hybrid learning by March 1, districts and schools could receive injections for all employees who so desired. There are more than 300,000 school employees in Ohio, but there is no confirmed percentage of those employees who are vaccinated.
No consequences are outlined for schools that fail to meet this date. DeWine, at a previous coronavirus briefing, said the state would continue to work with these schools to put them back in buildings.
Northeast Ohio schools that have missed the date are:
Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cuyahoga County
Cleveland schools have postponed the start of a three-week plan to return to buildings from March 1 to March 8. A note from CEO Eric Gordon said the district wanted to make sure that families had time to learn about the plan and give up if they did. The delay in the date would also allow for more preparation for the return.
The first group of students, including those with learning disabilities and senior students off the track, will return next week.
Richmond Heights location, Cuyahoga County
Richmond Heights Elementary School is live. Elementary and high school students cannot return until the district has completed the construction of its new building, which is due to be confirmed in the coming weeks, Superintendent Renee Willis wrote by email.
Garfield Heights City, Cuyahoga County
Garfield Heights schools will begin on a cohort model – two alternating groups – on March 8.
Akron City Schools, Summit County
Akron schools postponed their reopening schedule for a week at a board meeting on February 22. A face-to-face learning option will now be available to all students by March 15. The first group of students will begin on March 8.
Youngstown City Schools, Mahoning County:
Like Akron, Youngstown schools postponed their return date by a week. Students will have the option of face-to-face learning using a hybrid model starting on March 15, reported WKBN.com.
The other two are Columbus City Schools and Cincinnati City Schools. Some, but not all, Columbus and Cincinnati have the option of face-to-face learning so far. Jefferson Township Local, in Montgomery County, has not applied for vaccines, and leaders plan to remain remote until the end of the year.