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SFUSD outlines phased plan to return elementary students in January, sets masking and testing expectations
Summary
San Francisco Unified presented a phased ’Return Safely Together’ plan aiming for limited in-person elementary learning beginning Jan. 25, 2021, with priority groups, updated DPH mask rules for TK–12 and staff surveillance testing; board asked staff to pursue city support for ventilation upgrades and wider testing access.
San Francisco Unified Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews on Dec. 8 presented a detailed, phased plan for returning students to in-person learning, asking the board for consensus on sequencing, placement strategy and safety measures required to meet a resolution deadline of Jan. 25, 2021. The plan centers an equity frame and prioritizes students in early grades and high-need groups while identifying trade-offs tied to space, staffing and transportation.
The district’s phase 2a proposal would offer in-person learning first to pre-kindergarten through second grade and to certain special day classes and moderate–severe SDC placements; staff said the phase 2a cohort represents about 14,000 students and the district estimates roughly 15,000 in‑person seats can be provided under social‑distancing assumptions. Deputy Superintendent Nikia Ford Marthe described two placement strategies: a “homeschool” approach keeping students at their school of record and a “host school” approach that places students in sites with extra capacity if needed.
Health and safety measures presented to the board were drawn from California Department of Public Health and the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Chief Mele and Chief of HR Daniel Meneses said staff would participate in surveillance testing before returning and on a regular cadence (roughly weekly to every two weeks) thereafter, and that students are not currently required to participate in surveillance testing under state guidance. Meneses said the district had contracted with Curative Labs for test kits (with billing routed to health insurers) and piloted centralized testing at 555 Franklin to establish a model for staff and site testing. “Our testing will be for staff only,” he said, while adding city and nonprofit partnerships remain under negotiation to broaden access.
On masking, the board responded to a late update from public health: Mele said San Francisco Department of Public Health updated its guidance to require face coverings for TK–12 students; the board signaled support for a district mask requirement that would extend to pre‑K where practical and developmentally appropriate. Commissioner Collins urged universal masking (students and staff) as a non‑negotiable safety component.
Facilities staff detailed a three‑wave site “stand‑up” and ventilation strategy. Chief of Facilities Dawn Kamalathan reported site assessments that prioritize operable windows and HVAC inspection and said filters older than six months would be replaced and MERV‑13 filters installed where mechanically feasible; rooms without operable windows would not be used for in‑person learning. Kamalathan said wave 1 facilities work and repairs were complete for the first 12 sites, and that wave 2 and wave 3 stand‑ups would follow a careful site‑by‑site protocol.
Board discussion focused on trade‑offs: whether to offer in‑person seats for all third‑through‑fifth graders citywide, limit return to the phase 2b priority groups (students experiencing homelessness, those in foster care or public housing, or students minimally engaged in distance learning), or allow site‑level decisions based on capacity. Commissioners emphasized the heavy operational burden — site planning, bargaining with labor partners (district staff said bargaining must finish by Dec. 18 to meet the Jan. 25 goal), and the need for clear family outreach. President Mark Sanchez and staff said the district would proceed with planning while updating the board as survey responses and bargaining progress arrive.
Public comment, which ran for more than an hour, was sharply focused on accelerating reopenings, stricter masking rules, stronger ventilation (including outdoor instruction), and prioritizing teacher vaccination and staff testing. Parents and medical professionals urged a faster timeline and universal masks; union representatives urged thorough bargaining and attention to special‑education needs. The board directed staff to pursue city partnerships (including with the Latino Task Force and Department of Children, Youth and Their Families) to expand testing access and explore support for rapid ventilation retrofits where feasible.
What’s next: staff will continue to collect family survey responses for phase 2a, finalize bargaining steps, and return with more detailed site plans and a recommended placement strategy. The board and staff emphasized the plan is iterative and contingent on public‑health indicators, bargaining outcomes and capacity confirmations.
