SACRAMENTO – In response to the announcement today by Sacramento County Public Health that COVID-19 vaccinations will be extended to educators beginning next week, Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jorge Aguilar issued the following statement:

“It is wonderful news that educators in Sacramento County are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. The distribution of the vaccine to Sac City Unified educators will speed our district’s Return Together plan and the return of students to in-person learning. After nearly a year of distance learning, we cannot wait to welcome all our students back to their school sites where we can better address their academic, social, and emotional learning needs. I encourage all Sac City Unified educators to schedule their vaccination appointment as soon as possible once they become available.”

Christina Pritchett, President of the Sacramento City Unified Board, added, “We have always prioritized the health and safety of Sac City Unified staff and students while we work to return to in-person as quickly as possible. Sac City Unified is working closely with Sacramento County Public Health to host vaccination clinics for our district educators and staff. We can’t wait to welcome our students and all staff back to their classrooms and school sites.”

To speed the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations to educators and staff, the Sacramento City Unified School District will host a series of COVID-19 vaccination clinics. The first COVID-19 vaccination clinic is scheduled to be hosted by Sac City Unified on Friday, February 19 in partnership with Dignity Health. Eligible Sac City Unified staff and community members will receive a notification inviting them to register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Sacramento City Unified continues its planning for in-person instruction as part of its Return Together Plan. The district shares in the state’s commitment to ensuring effective testing and vaccination, and continues to work with Sacramento County Public Health to implement a testing and vaccination plan that meets standards established by public health officials. The district distributes PPE to its employees and retains a sufficient inventory of PPE for staff and students.  Sacramento City Unified has also provided continued support to families and students since school closures began in March including:

• In-person Learning Hubs for the district’s most vulnerable students
• Distributing over 29,000 computers to students to provide access to distance learning
• Creating an innovative partnership with Comcast, to provide families with free internet access through the Sac City Kids Connect program, as well as hotspots provided to students
• Continued mental health and support through the district’s Student Support and Connect Centers
• Professional development for teachers and site leadership to provide effective distance learning and student support
• Webinars and resources for parents at learn.scusd.edu
• A continued transparent planning process through the district’s Return Together Plan including outreach and surveys of families’ preferences for returning together
• In-person athletic conditioning for student athletes through the district’s Return to Plan program
• Aggressive outreach to locate and support students disengaged with distance learning to ensure these students had the tools and supports to connect to school
• Serving millions of meals to students throughout the district

To learn more about the Return Together plan, please visit returntogether.scusd.edu. To view the district’s Health and Safety plan visit returntogether.scusd.edu/return-health which includes videos demonstrating the many of the health and safety precautions on district campuses.