Worsening coronavirus case metrics in San Diego County forced the Poway Unified School District to delay the on-campus return for middle and high school students.
The district notified families in an email sent out Tuesday, one week after the county slipped into the Purple Tier.
Under the new plan, students would return to on-campus learning no sooner than after the winter break in January. Some of the small group learning and pilot groups already implemented could possibly expand until that time, the district said.
As for staff, the district said they could return to the classroom on Nov. 30th.
“Our HR department will be holding ADA interactive meetings with teachers who have doctor’s notes and evaluating them on a case-by-case basis, and how that applies to teacher’s physical return to work in their classrooms (without students)," a district spokesperson said.
Shantel Faulkner, mother to a Poway High School freshman, supports the new plan.
“As long as we're safe, as long as everyone’s thinking things thoroughly through, I’m good with it," she said.
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The California Federation of Teachers also reacted to surging cases, saying, '"We call on school districts throughout the state to immediately halt all plans for physically reopening schools before the end of the calendar year. For schools that are currently open, school districts should immediately plan to transition to distance learning."
Faulkner said while virtual learning is working for her son, “Some people need to be in the classroom.”
