The Fullerton School Board will host a special meeting on Saturday, January 16 at 1pm to vote on allowing teachers to work remotely through January 29 due to ongoing concerns with COVID-19.

Prior to the meeting, the District was planning to require teachers to return to in-person instruction on January 19.

“Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and in an abundance of caution, the District has worked collaboratively with the Fullerton Elementary Teachers Association (FETA) to extend a temporary virtual instruction option through January 29, 2021,” the meeting agenda states. “All certificated staff will return to their District location on February 1, 2021, unless an approved accommodation is on file.”

The Board will be voting on a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) with FETA to make this extension at the special meeting.

While the MOU allows teachers to work remotely through the 29th, it also offers a $300 a week “stipend” for those who choose to work in-person.

At their January 12 regular meeting, FETA President Mark Jacobs told the Board, “On behalf of FSD teachers, I implore the District to consider that we continue our proven distance learning model of instruction until teachers and staff can be offered vaccines. It appears we may be at the end of this pandemic, but it would not be prudent to prematurely return and unnecessarily put our students, families, staff, and teachers at risk for COVID-19.”

Jacobs said that, based on surveys, e-mails, and phone conversations, “I can confidently report that over 75% of our teachers have serious reservations about returning to in-person instruction at this time.”

During the first week after winter break, January 5 through 8, all FSD students were distance learning from home due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. During the week of January 11-15, 2021, every school offered limited in-person and hybrid learning, but mostly distance learning.

According to FSD’s COVID-19 dashboard, there are currently 26 active student cases, and 11 active employee cases. These numbers are low due to the fact that most students have been at home since the beginning of winter break. Should students return to in-person learning, these numbers would undoubtedly climb.

According to data from OC Health Care Agency, there have been 9,146 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Fullerton since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Board will be meeting via Zoom and the the public may listen to this meeting by accessing the following audio:

(669) 900-9128 or (346) 248 -7799 (toll charges may apply)