SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – Just as they did last spring when in-person classes resumed at Booksin Elementary and across San Jose Unified School District, masks will be required amid a surge in the COVID-19 Delta variant.
“What worked in April can work again,” says San Jose Unified School District superintendent Nancy Albarrán.
Albarrán says a handful of parents have objected to the mask mandate, which also requires masks in outdoor settings with exceptions for lunch, sports, and special needs.
However, most agree masking is the best way to keep their kids safe.
The district has stock-piled thousands of masks and other PPE in the 27,000 student district, the South Bay’s largest.
Classrooms at Willow Glen middle school will seat four students per table instead of five, and principal Paul Slayton spoke about enforcing the mask mandate.
While some families welcome a return to classes, others want to retain some type of distance learning.
It’s all about adaptability, says the superintendent.
“We know that our spring was successful. We had half of our students that were able to come back, and so now we’re gonna have all of our students that have that option. But again, we understand that some families might have some concerns, and there is an option through the Independent Studies Program,” said Nancy Albarrán.