Downey Board of Education gives green light for March 29 return

TK-5 students can return to campus starting March 29. (Photo by Alex Dominguez)

DOWNEY — Nearly a full year since closing, Downey Unified Board of Education approved a March 29 return-to-campus date for early childhood and TK-5 grade students.

Parents with students in the aforementioned grade levels will have the option of either sending their children back to classes in a hybrid-model format or keep with full-distance learning.

According to data shared with the school board by DUSD staff, the most recent parent survey resulted in 55% of parents opting for in-person hybrid and 45% for full-distance, taken from an 83.2% return rate.

School schedules can be expected around March 15, with teachers returning to their classrooms on March 25 and 26.  

Schools closed on March 16 last year. Originally, the closure was announced to be for two weeks.

There remain some concerns over the vaccination of teachers, many of whom wrote to the District asking that schools not reopen until they could be vaccinated. Although vaccination of teachers and staff is not a prerequisite for providing in-person instruction, the California Department of Public Health strongly recommends that all persons eligible to receive the vaccine do so at the first opportunity.

According to staff’s report, there are at least 600 shots currently designated for DUSD, which will go through the MPOD at PIH Health in Whittier.

“The good news is they’re in-hand, we’re just waiting for specific directions now to move forward,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Roger Brossmer. “We’re hoping it’s as soon as possible, but again, it’s hard to give shots that you don’t have. The good news is they have them in hand.”

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Wayne Shannon added that the district is prioritizing shots for elementary staff.

There is some financial motivation to reopen.

Senate Bill 86 offers grant incentives for schools to meet certain reopening standards by April 1. However, every day thereafter there would be a reduction in funding.

Still, Brossmer said that the district’s main priority is safety.

“We know our major priority is safety, and then funding will just come along with that,” said Brossmer. “We’re going to do what’s in the best interest of our families, and hopefully the funding will align with those priorities.”

It is expected that SB 86 will be signed by the end of the week.

Secondary schools are not currently eligible to reopen and will not be so until the county reaches the red tier.