LISTEN: Zooming in on San Diego School Reopenings

The signs held up by parents and students in front of the Board of Education building made clear their feelings.

A dad holding up a sign that read, “Education is Essential” and an elementary age girl holding up one that read, “I Hate Zoom”. And those were just some of the signs as the school board met. Those parents and kids got the good news they wanted. They now know that San Diego Unified schools could reopen by April 12th.

At least that’s the target date for now, as long as the falling case numbers of the coronavirus keep falling and the state takes the county off the most restrictive Purple Tier list so schools can reopen. And as long as there are enough doses of vaccines in the county to vaccinate all the teachers and staff who want the shots.

When schools do reopen it won’t mean it will be like it was when they closed almost a year ago. But there are signs every day of kids who want things to at least starting to get back to normal, even it will still take a while.

Having attended our first drive-by curbside birthday party for some good friends’ nine-year-old daughter this week with the honking of car horns and the signs and gifts, and while it was a fun and still safe way during a pandemic to celebrate a birthday, it’s not the same and not the way kids want things to be.

Being in the classroom and with their friends is the way most of them want things to be, especially after all this time in a zoom-filled room at home.

LISTEN BELOW: San Diego Unified School Board President Richard Barrerra outlined the plan on San Diego's Morning News.

(Photo credit Getty Images)