Carlos J. Casillas G.
The Downey Unified School District Board of Education has been meeting for two consecutive weeks and will have a new special meeting on Tuesday, March 2, to discuss possible reopening dates for schools in grades TK through fifth.
Although there is still no date, a reliable source told us that the potential day of return to school will probably be decided at the meeting on Tuesday 2, however, it depends a lot on negotiations with the unions.
This past Tuesday 23, the Board directed staff to launch a Return to School Confirmation email to elementary families. In that email parents must respond, those who want to return to an in-person hybrid model and those who do not want to return to school.
With that information, DUSD will know the number of students that will be returning to an in-person Hybrid Model.
“Knowing the number of students that will be returning to an in-person Hybrid Model is truly needed to support our work in creating the best schedule possible for our elementary students with the priority of keeping students with their current teachers”, Superintendent John Garcia shared with parents in an update.
The DUSD Covid Safety Plan was released last week and they are continuing their efforts to bring elementary students back in a hybrid model.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, a Return to School presentation was given by Assistant Superintendents Dr. Brossmer and Dr. Shannon where it was shared that the metrics in Los Angeles County continue to decrease.
As of Tuesday, 23, LA County’s adjusted case rate has dropped to 12.3%. “If LA County stays on this current path of decline, we may be in the Red Tier in the next couple of weeks”.
Superintendent continues; “As shared above, our current adjusted case rate is below 25 which allows us to have our EC/TK through 5th grade students return for in-person Hybrid instruction”.
Finally, Garcia reported that the first phase of the school district staff 65 and over, – no more than 28 persons-, has already received their first vaccination.
In addition, DUSD received an update earlier last week, that beginning March 1, Los Angeles County will begin to make immunization appointments available to the entire staff working in a school district.
“This implementation throughout Los Angeles County, as well as our partnership with PIH, means that vaccines will soon be available to all of our staff who choose to receive one”, said superintendent García.
Opposing opinions
A group of parents have banded together to form DUSD Parent Coalition, recently emerged in the community, and they have rallied to pressure the school district to reopen schools soon to return to in-person classes.
They ask for K-12 schools to reopen no later than March 15 and call on other parents who are in favor of in-person learning to join them; “We are parents advocating for students”, they say on their social media.
On the other hand, there is the Downey Resistance group, made up of current and former students who emerged last year to denounce sexual harassment, racism, and corruption within managed schools by the DUSD.
They ask not to reopen schools and they affirm in their social media; “DUSD’s strategy for reopening is not sufficient and relies on the expectations of an already failing vaccine distribution effort”.
They goes on; “DUSD students and families have less access to vaccines and higher risk of contracting Covid-19”.
“DUSD has no concrete plan for vaccinating their staff, nor their students despite having a revenue of over $ 200 million (one of the best-funded school districts in California),” they said.
