Sentinel staff report–
The San Juan Unified School District said Tuesday that it will reopen most K-6 schools by April 5, even if the county isn’t promoted into the less-restrictive “Red Tier” of COVID-19 classifications. The district also announced a more rapid reopening arrangement for other grade levels, once the Red tier has been entered.
The announcement came after district officials said a new agreement had been reached with the San Juan Teachers Association. The agreement sets April 5 as the date for reopening grades K-5 with the option for in-person learning, along with “self-contained 6th grade classrooms.” The date could be as early as March 22, if the county enters the Red Tier by March 16.
Higher grade levels will be allowed to reopen once the county has been in the red tier for five days, whereas a prior agreement had required a 14-day waiting period, the district said in its announcement.
Those in early childhood education programs will have an in-person learning option “no later than April 12,” the district said.
According to state guidelines, the county will enter the “Red Tier” when case rates fall below 7 per 100,000 and the positivity rate falls under 8 percent. District officials said the case rate, adjusted for equity, was 6.6 percent, with the case rate at 12 per 100,000, according to the latest data from the state — which has more delayed reporting than the county. (See state website)
County data shows ICU cases have fallen from a high of 128 last month down to 46 cases, as of Friday. Hospitalized cases have also dropped from more than 500 last month down to 143 on March 4.
See district’s full March 4 announcement: click here.