Wine Country Times

The County of Sonoma and Sonoma County Office of Education has announced TK-6 students can apply for in-person learning per updated state guidance under California's Safe Schools For All Plan, a press release stated. 

All Sonoma County schools showing a daily rate of cases that is less than 25 per 100,000 residents will be eligible to open for in-person learning for kindergarten through sixth grade, as the county still remains under purple tier restrictions. 

"We're encouraged by the revised state guidance and want to acknowledge this important milestone in our collective effort to reduce the case rate and get our children back in the classroom," Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase said in the release. "The review process for reopening is comprehensive and takes time, but we will be working diligently to complete these reviews as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to work closely with education officials to ensure that teachers, students and families have the confidence to reopen safely when they do return to in-person learning."

Prior to reopening, all schools will be required to submit a COVID Safety Plan to local and state health officials for approval as well as making the approved plan available online for residents. Each plan will provide a range of details required for a safe reopening of schools, including testing protocols, contact tracing, air ventilation and room spacing. The plans must be online for a minimum of five days prior to reopening. 

If the plan is approved, all schools with case rates less than 25 per 100,000 people will receive approval to open. 

"Thanks to our community's efforts to slow the spread of the virus, schools are a step closer in a multi-step process toward reopening," Dr. Steve Herrington, Sonoma County superintendent of schools, said in the release. "Schools and school districts have been working hard to prepare their campuses for reopening and must now complete the COVID-19 Safety Plans newly required by the state. We are working closely with the county health department to help schools complete and have these plans approved."