School Reopening Timelines, Vaccines, and Upcoming COVID-19 Town Hall
BUSD Educators to be Vaccinated Next Week - School Re-openings Beginning Next Month
Yesterday, the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) came to an agreement with the Berkeley Federation of Teachers on a reopening plan for K-12 instruction in Berkeley. The agreement is conditioned on the vaccination of teachers and classified staff working at school sites.
For the past few months, many parents have reached out to me concerned over the impact of sheltering in place and distance learning on their children. There has been a growing demand for BUSD to move towards in-person instruction to address learning loss and improve the mental health of our kids.
As Mayor, I have stated that reopening schools is a top priority for the city government. While I publicly urged BUSD and BFT to reach an agreement on reopening, my focus has been on decisions that are within the city's control such as enabling the district to reopen under public health orders and access to vaccines.
Recognizing that vaccination is key to any agreement on reopening, for the past two weeks I have been working earnestly with our City Manager and BUSD to develop a plan for vaccination of BUSD school employees returning to school sites.
I am pleased to report that yesterday both the City and BUSD announced a plan for vaccination of educators, with the assistance of the City. Under this plan, teachers and classified staff serving preschool through second grade can get their first dose as early as February 22nd, with third through sixth grade teachers and classified staff following shortly after. Then beginning on March 8, secondary school educators can begin receiving the vaccine.
With the vaccinations underway, the proposed timeline for reopening schools for hybrid instruction is as follows:
Monday, March 29: Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, and K-2
April 5-9: Spring Recess
Monday, April 12: Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8; U9 Program at Berkeley High; Berkeley Technology Academy/Berkeley Independent Study
Monday, April 19: Grades 10-12
Online learning has proven to be a major challenge for kids and parents alike. We need to get Berkeley’s kids back into the classroom as quickly as possible, and this vaccination plan ensures that the safety of our educators will not be compromised in the process. This has been a major priority for our office, and we are pleased to be able to move forward with these plans.
Sign Up to Get Vaccinated
A couple of weeks ago we have set up a mass vaccination site at Golden Gate Fields that has already vaccinated thousands of people. This is one of several methods available to get vaccines. More appointments will become available in the coming weeks as we receive increased shipments of the vaccine and are able to expand the prioritization list. To be notified when vaccines are available for you, fill out the vaccine notification form here.
Next Town Hall Feb 22. at 6pm
Join Mayor Jesse Arreguín, our Deputy City Manager, Health, Housing and Community Services Director Dr. Lisa Warhuus, and Berkeley Health Officer Dr. Lisa Hernandez, where they will provide updates on the city’s response to COVID-19 and answer your questions.
What: Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19
When: Monday, February 22nd, 6pm
Watch live at jessearreguin.com
New - Phone in option:
Dial: +1 669-900-6833
Webinar ID: 847 9081 6754
Passcode: 151080
Ask your questions by 3pm On 2/22 at jessearreguin.com