Petaluma City Schools ramps up reopening plans as parents express frustration

Petaluma City Schools officials have moved up a timeline for submitting the district’s reopening framework for elementary grades, promising amid mounting pressure from parents to quickly join two dozen schools and districts across Sonoma County that have already submitted plans.

After they initially estimated it would take two weeks to complete a new comprehensive county checklist, district leaders announced Wednesday they are prepared to submit their safety strategy for in-person instruction for grades TK-6 to the county by the end of the week.

District Superintendent Gary Callahan said he met with all principals last week, as each location builds campus-specific site plans designed to accommodate the district’s 7,400 students. Yet even as the district moves toward welcoming teachers and students back, timelines are subject to change.

“It’s a little bit of dance. There are a number of things that have to take place,” Callahan said. “We have two variables that we’re looking at for reopening schools. One is related to transmission, the other is related to staff vaccinations.”

The district’s forthcoming COVID-19 safety plan follows the county’s Feb. 10 announcement that case rates were low enough for health officials to begin evaluating applications from districts for hybrid instruction approval for grades TK-6.

The new safety guidelines come as Sonoma County’s Office of Education ramps up its vaccination efforts, symbiotic developments seen as a step forward by district leaders even as some Petaluma parents voice frustration over distance learning and demand a speedier return to the classroom.

According to a resolution passed by the Petaluma City School’s Board of Trustees in late January, all of Petaluma City Schools staff must have had access and opportunity to receive a vaccine before doors open again.

Of the district’s 900 employees, Callahan says at least 160 will have received their first dose by the end of the week. The initial vaccine rollout targeted district staff and educators who are 75 and older, and Callahan said eligibility will soon expand to all staff working with TK-6 grades.

The 87 supplemental questions posed by Sonoma County officials parse campus maps, mask policies and information about how schools will safely facilitate snack times, drop-offs and pick-ups and bathroom breaks.

To date, 24 schools and districts in Sonoma County, including three in Petaluma, have submitted reopening plans to date.

Liberty School District, a public district, and private schools The Spring Hill School and Harvest Christian School have each submitted plans, with The Spring Hill School already receiving approval to operate from Sonoma County.

Petaluma City Schools representatives initially aimed to submit their safety plans to the county by Feb. 26, but moved that deadline up one week amid ongoing outcry from the school community.

Parents took to the streets last week to express frustration over what they say is a lack of response and guidance from Petaluma City Schools over reopening plans. They say the administration is dragging its feet.

“This is unacceptable, it’s been a year,” said parent Jamie Fowler. “Why can’t they learn on the playground?”

Callahan pointed to the district’s size and the detailed nature of the new template as reason for the initial two-week time frame, pushing back against complaints from some families that leaders aren’t working fast enough.

“There is a sense this is a very easy process,” Callahan said. “It’s not. There’s a lot of inaccurate information out there. We have not submitted our safety plans yet. The revised plan that came out last week – that’s what we’re working on now.”

If safety plans get the green light from county and state officials, eligible Sonoma County schools can reopen grades TK-6, as long as case rates remain below 25 per 100,000 residents for five consecutive days. If the county moves into the red tier for five consecutive days, grades TK-12 can reopen.

District officials and school board members have also been fielding questions from many parents asking why neighboring counties are opening their schools, something longtime Petaluma educator and board trustee Mady Cloud said is the result of a confusing and constantly-evolving system.

“I totally understand how difficult this is, and it’s traumatic for so many people on so many levels,” she said. “There’s no one who hasn’t been harmed by the past year. Unfortunately, we happen to be in the county that stayed in purple the whole time. It’s frustrating for all of us, and that meant we couldn’t open at all until these new changes from the state.”

Cloud said Wednesday the trustees will discuss the safety plan during their Feb. 23 board meeting, and the district will post the plan online for public viewing if approved by the county.

Steve Herrington, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools, said in an emailed statement that some districts chose to wait until receiving more pointed direction from the county health department, a method used by Petaluma City Schools.

"Most, if not all, the districts in Sonoma County have been working hard to complete and submit their COVID-19 Safety Plans,” Herrington said in an email. “Some school districts chose to submit their plans based on the state checklist, while others chose to wait to submit until they had received the rubric and template provided by the County of Sonoma last week."

Petaluma City Schools officials acknowledge the pressure is mounting for a return to in-person learning.

Callahan said a district-wide survey showed 75% of district TK-6 families expressed a desire to return to hybrid instruction. Results from a separate survey measuring the attitudes of the district’s 900 employees were not available by Wednesday.

Sandra Larson, President of the 420-member Petaluma Federation of Teachers, said she has worked with the district since the summer to build hybrid instruction plans and flesh out safety measures.

“I know everyone is exhausted on all levels, but I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now,” Larson said. “So, it’s shocking that there’s a push by some to speed it up, that my health doesn’t matter. We have a plan, let’s stick to it and vaccinate the teachers then get back to the classroom. I think a lot of Petaluma teachers feel the same way.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Some school districts chose to wait until receiving direction from the county health department before submitting reopening plans. A previous of this story mischaracterized which agency would provide that direction.

(Contact Kathryn Palmer at kathryn.palmer@arguscourier.com, on Twitter @KathrynPlmr.)