Elementary school students in the Oceanside Unified School District will soon be headed back to campus to be with their teachers for in-person instruction, in a move some parents say is a step in the right direction.
The school board voted Monday night to allow special education elementary school students to return to their campuses for in-person instruction on March 8. The rest of the elementary school students will return a week later.
Students have been out of school doing virtual learning since winter break. Before then, they had been going to school for in-person instruction on a split-day schedule two days a week. Now they will head back for a split-day schedule four days a week.
“I’m glad they actually decided to start listening to us and go back in-person,” said parent Aimee Palmer, who is happy but also has mixed emotions. “I am kind of sad that it will be over a month from now that they’re going to go back, and also happy that it’s four days now, instead of a few days of hybrid learning.”
Palmer said she is optimistic the number of coronavirus cases will continue to go down as vaccinations go up. As for the variant that is said to be more transmissible, she said, “Yes, it’s a little concerning, but again, with the hand washing that has been encouraged, with the constant wearing of masks, social distancing, I don’t really see that as being a problem.”