Can SLO County schools reopen under the red tier? Here’s what your district plans to do
More schools in San Luis Obispo County can begin opening their doors to students as the county returns to the red tier of coronavirus restrictions under California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
San Luis Obispo County had been in the purple tier, under which COVID-19 spread is considered widespread, since November.
On Tuesday, state officials announced the county’s return to the less restrictive red tier, effective Wednesday.
The announcement came on the same day that Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to visit San Luis Obispo County as part of a statewide tour promoting California’s efforts to vaccinate more residents.
San Luis Obispo County’s move to the red tier means that local schools, under new guidance from the California Department of Public Health, can reopen all classrooms for students in kindergarten through 12th grade within five days.
Many students in San Luis Obispo County will be seeing the inside of a classroom for the first time in nearly a year.
The possibility of returning to in-person instruction been a popular topic of discussion at many school board meetings over the last several months.
Impassioned parents, teachers and trustees have highlighted the hardships kids and teachers have endured due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Public comment periods have stretched on for hours as hundreds of commenters called into virtual meetings to express their opinions about schools reopening.
There was often a clear divide between local teachers’ unions — which advocated for districts to wait to reopen until local COVID-19 numbers were low and teachers had access to vaccines — and many parents who desperately wanted their kids to return to in-person classes.
In the end, however, elected school board members ultimately decided whether schools would reopen or stay shuttered.
SLO County schools get COVID-19 funding
The California State Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $6.6 billion budget package on Monday that offers incentives for schools to reopen by providing funds for COVID-19 safety measures such as personal protective equipment, testing and ventilation upgrades if campuses reopen.
Because San Luis Obispo County is now in the red tier, schools must reopen all elementary grades and at least one middle or high school grade to get the money.
California counties still in the purple tier must reopen campuses to students in kindergarten through second grade and high needs students — including those with disabilities, English learners, those without access to the internet and homeless and foster youth in order to get the coronavirus funding.
For every day beyond April 1 that schools delay reopening, they will lose 1% of the money offered. If a district doesn’t open to in-person learning on or before May 15, it will receive none of the funds.
San Luis Obispo County school districts have already received a collective $36 million in state and federal COVID-19 funding, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Though strict safety measures are in place at every school that reopens, there have been more than 500 positive COVID-19 cases reported in local schools, according to a database maintained by The Tribune.
As of Tuesday, 225 school employees and 286 students had tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, according to the latest data obtained by The Tribune.
Teachers have begun to receive vaccines, with the earliest appointments set aside for those who were in contact with students that can not wear masks and require hands-on help in the classroom.
The state recently mandated that 10% of San Luis Obispo County’s vaccines go to childcare providers, teachers and educators.
Local districts have reopening plans
Most school districts in San Luis Obispo County already have plans that will grant them access to the additional state COVID-19 funding. Each district will follow a hybrid reopening plan, where students are in in-person class for one half of the day, and at home working online for the other half of the day.
Here’s what your school district is planning:
Lucia Mar Unified School District
Lucia Mar Unified, which covers South County cities such as Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Nipomo, Oceano and Grover Beach, recently began reopening its elementary schools to in-person learning.
On Feb. 24, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students went back to campuses, and students in first through third grades returned on Monday.
Students in fourth through sixth grade will return to in-person classes on March 8, and middle and high school students will return on March 15.
San Luis Coastal Unified School District
San Luis Coastal, which has schools in Los Osos, Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo, has brought preschool and transitional kindergarten students back to campuses for in-person classes. Additionally, some kindergarten and first grade classes were opened to pilot in-person learning earlier this year.
On Thursday, more kindergarten students and students in first through second grades will return to in-person classes.
Third- through sixth-grade students will return March 8.
Middle and high schools will reopen to in-person classes on March 15.
Paso Robles Joint Unified School District
All elementary schools at the North County district have reopened to in-person learning as of November.
Middle and high school students will be back in classrooms on March 16.
Atascadero Unified School District
Like the Paso Robles district, Atascadero Unified reopened its elementary schools by the end of November.
Middle and high school students will return to in-person learning on March 8.
Templeton Unified School District
This North County district has already opened its elementary schools to in-person learning.
Secondary schools will return to in-person learning on March 15.
San Miguel Joint Union School District
This district has already opened to all grade levels at its two schools, which educate students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Coast Unified School District
The North Coast district will continue with distance-only learning, but will expand its in-person learning pods for struggling students, according to district Superintendent Scott Smith.
Cayucos Elementary School District
This second North Coast school district will reopen to in-person learning for transitional kindergarten through fifth grade on March 15.
Students in sixth through eighth grades, the district’s highest grade level, will return to classrooms on March 22.
Shandon Joint Unified School District
The rural North County school district is beginning to reopen its elementary schools educating students in kindergarten through fifth grade to in-person instruction in the hybrid, half-day model.
Once the elementary schools are open, the district will move to reopen its secondary schools, according to district Superintendent Kristina Benson.
Pleasant Valley Joint Union Elementary School District
This small, rural district reopened to in-person learning to students in kindergarten through fifth grades in October.
This story was originally published March 2, 2021 at 1:07 PM.
CORRECTION: This article was updated with Coast Unified School District’s correct plan. The North County district will continue with distance learning but will expand its in-person learning pods for struggling students.
