It’s official: Sacramento City Unified and teachers union finalize school reopening plan
Sacramento City Unified students will begin returning to campus April 8, according to a long-awaited and finalized pact between the district and its teachers union.
The district and the Sacramento City Teachers Association finalized the memorandum of understanding around 1 a.m. Saturday. The two groups agreed to provide professional development on technology, an opportunity for teachers to bring their own school age children on campus, and medical assistants to help screen students and staff.
The agreement also allows teachers who have health risks or who care for relatives with health conditions to apply for accommodations, which may include continuing teaching remotely. The district and the union agreed on providing improved ventilation that includes MERV-13 filters, HEPA filters and CO2 monitors.
Students in pre-kindergarten through third grade, and students in kindergarten through sixth grade in special day classes will be back on campuses April 8.
Students in fourth through sixth grades will return April 15, and all seventh- through 12th-grade students will return April 22, according to the plan.
About half of the district’s 40,000 students will return to in-person learning two days a week in cohorts, and engage in distance learning three days a week. Distance learning will remain an option for students. According to a district survey, 53% of students’ families wanted in-person learning while 47% chose to continue online. About 10% to 20% more elementary students are returning compared to high school students.
About 33,000 students’ families in the district responded to the survey.
Sacramento City Unified is one of the last districts in the region to announce its reopening plan. More than 9,000 of the state’s 11,000 schools have reopened or announced dates to reopen, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
“Our negotiations have been very productive and far less adversarial than some of our past bargaining sessions,” read a statement from SCTA President David Fisher. “I’m confident that the agreement we reached today will allow students, teachers and staff to return to our school buildings safely. We’re excited to be going back.”
The district released a video on Tuesday showing families how teachers plan to instruct students in a concurrent model, where educators will teach students in class and online at the same time.
“Every day that our students are not on our campuses is time many are not getting the support that they need,” said Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jorge Aguilar. “We are happy that our students will not have to wait any longer. The students in Sac City Unified, like all other students in our region, deserve in-person instruction to support their academic, social, and emotional learning and growth. We have implemented extensive protocols to ensure our schools are safe. Over half of our families are choosing to send their students back to in-person learning. It is time to honor their decisions.”
About 71% of white students surveyed said they plan to return in-person, and 52% Hispanic students and 55% Black students said they plan to return to campus. Most notably, only 33% of the districts’ Asian students are choosing to return. About half of the district’s English-learners, half of the students in special education and half of the district’s socioeconomically disadvantaged students plan to return.
This story was originally published March 20, 2021 at 3:54 PM.