Dear Akron Public Schools Community,

As we move forward in our 2020-2021 school year, our plans to bring students back into our classrooms is progressing. The creation of a vaccine, and working in concert with the state of Ohio, has given larger public schools previously engaged in 100% remote learning, an opportunity to change that.

In the coming weeks and months, we hope to have vaccines administered to our teachers and staff, thus paving the way for us to reopen our schools to those students wanting to return to in-person learning. We will continue to offer remote learning to those not wanting to return as we continue to live with a viral pandemic.

The timeline on all of this is going to depend upon our receipt of the vaccine, having enough for all who want it, and administering the inoculations in the due process required. This means teachers and staff would be vaccinated, wait four weeks and be given their second vaccine and then wait another two weeks before being able to return to our classrooms.

Governor Mike DeWine has asked that school districts intending to return to in-classroom learning sign a commitment letter as proof of our intentions to vaccinate staff. With that commitment, we vaccinate and then reopen our buildings to our students. We are hoping to have this process completed and ready for reopening by the middle of March. But, it is dependent on several factors out of our control, including the availability of a sufficient amount of vaccine for our nearly 4,000 employees who work with kids.

We will be, as always, communicating with you as we move along in this process. Our website is constantly being updated to keep up with new information. So, make sure you watch for what you need here at akronschools.com.

Sincerely,

David James, Ed.D., Superintendent Akron Public Schools