STOCKTON, California — For the first time since March of 2020, the more than 54,000 students in the Stockton Unified School District are back in the classroom, full-time and in-person.
"Our students have been really responsible. They are here with their masks ready to go. The parents have been really supportive," said Spanos Elementary School Principal Danielle Valtierra.
420 students attend Spanos Elementary on Stockton's south side. COVID-19 protocols are in place, including wearing masks for students and staff inside but outside is optional.
Nancy Amaya is a mom of two kids at the school.
"I'm very supportive. Just like all parents here are very supportive of wearing a mask for their safety," she said.
11-year-old sixth-grader Melanie Sanchez-Cortez had a black, sparkly mask on and is excited to be in school.
"I get to see all my friends again and I love my teachers and it's so fun learning again," Sanchez-Cortez said, who was a fourth-grader when the pandemic closed schools in March 2020.
Kathleen Moody has been a teacher for over 30 years. She teaches sixth grade at Spanos Elementary.
"It's been really trying. It's really hard for the kids to focus when they're on Zoom. And, there's no substitute for being in person," Moody said.
For students still hesitant to attend school in person or who have special medical needs, the district offers a "Virtual Academy." Over 1,700 have signed up, far exceeding the district's expectations.
The district says so far things have gone smoothly back to full-time and in person instruction. In classrooms, the partitions are gone and social distancing is history, but extra masks and hand sanitizer are positioned outside each classroom.
In a statement, District Superintendent John Ramirez Jr. said in part "I was able to walk campuses and the attitude among students was very positive."
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