PHILADELPHIA, PA, July 30, 2021 — The School District of Philadelphia announced updates to its plan for the return to full in-person learning, five days per week, starting Tuesday, August 31.
Following newly revised guidelines from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) on Philadelphia Schools which, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prioritizes the safe return of all students to in-person learning with multiple layers of safety in place, the School District of Philadelphia will:
Require masks or other approved facial coverings for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals while indoors.
Continue mandatory weekly COVID testing for all employees. Onsite testing will be available for students who present with COVID-like symptoms during the day.
Follow a Test to Stay model, where close contacts of positive cases will be tested at least three non-consecutive days within the first seven days following exposure. Close contacts who remain negative during the testing may stay in school and not have to quarantine. Individuals who test positive must be isolated for at least 10 days. Students who are quarantining or isolating will receive instructional support while at home.
Follow a Test to Play/Perform Model where athletes who play high-risk sports and students participating in select performing arts (band and choir) will be tested 1-2 times a week. Vaccinated athletes and performing arts students may opt-out of weekly testing with proof of vaccination.
“We are excited, prepared, and ready,” said William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D. “We also know that safely welcoming students back into our classrooms and surrounding them with caring educators and critical supports is the best opportunity to help our young people begin to heal from the social-emotional trauma they have been experiencing, accelerate their learning, and re-engage in the daily
routines, structures and collaborative environments that help them to thrive both socially and academically.”
The District also outlined plans for the upcoming school year using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Every school in the District will:
Continue to implement the Healing Together initiative;
Host classroom-based community meetings; and,
Receive additional staffing to support a positive school climate.
Schools in communities that have been most impacted by gun violence will:
Receive additional supports including more counselors, Behavioral Health Counselors, and social services supports;
Implement new programs to help students learn and practice critical coping skills; and,
Receive specialized trauma-informed professional development for counselors, School Safety Officers, and other staff so they are able to better support the social-emotional needs of our students.
The District will provide:
Evidence-based professional development and coaching for educators to improve their instructional practice;
Develop strategies and interventions to grow each student to perform at or above grade level using student-level data;
Additional special education teachers and hire psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists specifically to evaluate and inform IEPs for every special needs student; and,
Adding more bilingual counselor assistants and translation services to better engage with English Language Learners and their families.
Families with extenuating circumstances for whom a return to in-person learning could pose a significant personal challenge will have the option of enrolling their students into the School District of Philadelphia’s Virtual Academy (PVA). PVA, which has been an online educational option for students in grades 6-12 since 2013. PVA is expanding to include students in kindergarten through 5th grade for the 2021-2022 school year. Students who enroll in PVA will not remain enrolled in or receive instruction from their current school. They will engage in 100% independent learning on their own schedule using learning resources provided by an assigned teacher. Instead of participating in in-person athletic or extra-curricular activities at their current school, PVA students would participate in the extra-curricular activities offered by PVA. Families must register for this option during the enrollment window, which will open on Monday, August 2, and close on Friday, August 13 by 5 p.m. Parents and families interested in PVA can visit philasd.org/pva to learn more and complete a PVA Intake Form.
In preparation for the return of students to school buildings, the District will begin to phase out its Grab-N-Go meal service. Meal distribution will stop at 56 school-based meal sites after the Friday, August 6 distribution. The remaining 41 school-based meal sites will serve their last Grab-N-Go meals on Friday, August 20. Meals will be served in schools for students. Families who may need additional food resources can visit phila.gov/food.
