Dayton Public Schools to return to in-person learning after staff COVID-19 vaccinations

DAYTON — Dayton Public Schools, one of the last districts in the Miami Valley still on a primarily remote learning plan, will return to in-person instruction after teachers and staff members have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, a district spokesperson said Wednesday.

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Students will return to classrooms in March, however the district did not set a specific date for the resumption of in-person learning. The date will be finalized after staff vaccine distribution is completed, the district spokesperson said in a media release.

DPS staff members are expected to receive their first vaccine doses February 4 or 5, through a partnership with Kroger.

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Parents who wish to keep their students learning remote can opt to choose to stay remote. However, students remaining on a remote learning plan will be switched to a self-placed learning software and will no longer work with teachers.

“Students who remain remote will no longer work with their DPS teachers because all teachers will be working with in-person students. However, remote students will have access to an online coach to provide assistance on a weekly basis,” the spokesperson said in the release.

The district has uploaded a form to their website, daytonpublic.com, for parents to select either in-person learning or remote.

Social distancing and cleaning measures will be in place for students when they return to the classrooms in March. Those preventative measures include mandatory masks, socially distanced classrooms, plexiglass barriers when appropriate, no shared school supplies and frequent cleaning.

DPS’ plan falls in line with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s goal to have all students in the state back to a form of in-person learning by March 1.

DeWine announced Tuesday that staff vaccinations will begin one week early, starting Thursday, with Cincinnati Public Schools. While every district will not start this week, or on the original start date of February 1, DeWine said the state still plans to have all school staff members who want to be vaccinated receive at least their first vaccine shot by the end of February.

This is a developing story and we’ll update this page as we learn more.

Cox Media Group