Some Parents Sending Students Back To School Monday, While Others Keeping Kids Home For Virtual Classes
SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA) - Many schools in the San Bernardino City Unified District are opening for in-person learning Monday after more than a year of virtual learning.
A lot of parents and kids were out Sunday doing some last minute back to school shopping. Some of the parents CBSLA spoke to said they are choosing to keep their kids at home until they see how the COVID-19 numbers trend, but many parents and students said they are looking forward to going back to campus.
"I'm excited to see my friends too," sixth grader Allison Romo said. "The only thing bad about it, we still have to wear masks."
Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rogers, SBCUD President, said the board of education made it safe for those who want to come back to in-person learning.
"...and we are excited about that because we know that it's very important for us to be together," Dr. Dowdy-Rogers said in a video.
The district said parents were given the option to send their children back to campus full time or continue learning online from home.
"She did really good, so I'm going to keep her online just to see what's going on and then we'll go from there," Martha Ortiz said about her daughter. "I am concerned because I also take her to a babysitter. So we are concerned about everyone that's around us, and then work, I also work with a lot of people. I'd rather just keep it safe."
Some of the students that spoke to CBSLA said they are looking forward to a little bit of normalcy.
Freshman Roman Corrella said he's excited because he hasn't seen anyone in a year.
While in many ways, school will look like what it did pre-pandemic, all students and staff will have to wear face-coverings.
"I have to wear a mask during everything except for lunch, I think," Corrella said. "It doesn't bother me that much, but some people are annoyed."
There is also the lingering concern that COVID-19 numbers could continue to spike, as a result of the more contagious Delta variant, that schools may need to close again.
"I feel like someone is going to get COVID or something and it's going to close all over again. That kind of scares me, yeah," Corrella said.
The district said that parents who choose to keep their kids learning online from home do have the option of getting on a waiting list if they change their minds, so that once there is space for the kids to return to on-campus learning, they'll be able to take that option.
