A Message from the Superintendent – Schools Open for Students on Thursday, August 12, 2021

Dear PUSD Community,

Our schools will open for students on August 12, 2021, for full in-person instruction five days a week. We’re excited to start the 2021-2022 school year with an emphasis on safety, acceleration of learning, and the social-emotional wellbeing of our students and staff.

The health and welfare of our students are foremost on our minds and we are checking and double-checking our safety plans. The key question is: what are the best ways to keep our students and staff safe? We believe that first and foremost, everyone must wear a mask while at school except for students under age two. We also believe that physical distancing must be practiced wherever possible, and a robust testing protocol must be in place to detect especially those who may have contracted the virus and are asymptomatic. We also believe that the school environment must be cleaned and sanitized regularly. Lastly, we believe that all students and staff who are eligible should be vaccinated.

There has been much discussion about vaccines and testing in the last few days. To bring you up to date, here is where we stand:

• Estimated 96% of PUSD employees vaccinated for COVID-19

• 1,320 vaccinated through PUSD-operated clinics, and an estimated 800 through Huntington Hospital, thanks to PUSD/Pasadena Public Health partnership

• Employees will be required to attest to their vaccination status. Once data is gathered, information will be presented to the Board of Education for any further deliberation. Mandating vaccinations is a complicated issue in the public school system as the effects of any such decision must be negotiated and can result in many issues and complications that would affect the instructional process.

Random COVID-19 tests

• Weekly random tests of representative samples of employees and students (with informed consent from their parents/guardians). We are also considering weekly testing of all teachers and staff who interact with elementary-age children since these students are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination which therefore requires more vigilance on our part.

• The testing plan will be presented to the Board later this month, with information for parents to follow.

• In the meantime, PUSD’s testing program continues:

• Student-athletes get tested, with parent/guardian consent

• Get tested before school starts! Voluntary COVID-19 tests are offered on campus and at the district’s primary clinic for all students and staff.

• Get vaccinated! We strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated to help schools safely return to in-person learning by reducing transmission risk. Learn more at www.pusd.us/vaccine #VaccinatePasadena

For the latest information, visit our website at www.pusd.us and read the PUSD COVID-19 Safety Plan

We can’t wait to see welcome students back to school!

Sincerely,

Brian McDonald, Ed.D.
Superintendent