San Francisco's youngest students and those with special needs will return to the classroom next month as Covid-19 rates continue to drop, public school officials said.
Six elementary schools are expected to initially reopen, each with a maximum class size of 22 students, NBC Bay Area reported. Officials announced the plan Friday after the district reached a tentative agreement with the teachers union.
The return to in-person learning will affect about 13,000 students, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Under the plan, students will remain with their teachers while on campus, and safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be followed, including wearing masks inside the classroom and maintaining social distance.
"We stand strong in our efforts to work closely with all of our partners and this is an important step on our path to returning to in-person learning," school board President Gabriela Lopez tweeted. "We continue to work extremely hard to ensure every student and family is receiving the support they need in the method they choose."
School officials hope to gradually allow more students to return to in-person learning throughout April, according to a statement from the San Fransisco Unified School District. Meanwhile, teachers are continuing to receive vaccinations before schools reopen.
Families will have a choice whether to continue distance learning for their children or send them back into the classroom. According to a survey conducted by public school officials in January, 57 percent of respondents said they would prefer to return to in-person classes while 43 percent said they would prefer distance learning.