"We are very excited, it's been a long haul waiting for this day," said Yve Saville, Parent and Oakland teacher.
[Ads /]
Among those students are 12-year-old Tula and her 10-year-old brother Jude. Their mom Yve Saville says they've been looking forward to Monday, especially Tula who is vaccinated.
"My oldest is really excited to be back, she is very social and my younger one is a little bit hesitant but I think he will be really happy once he is back," said Saville.
RELATED: Bay Area school districts monitoring Delta variant amid conflicting reopening guidance
The school district says masks will be required at all times inside their buildings but vaccines will not be mandated for teacher or students. In case a student tests positive for COVID they have a plan.
"That student will have to isolate at home quarantine for 14 days but then beyond that anyone who might have been exposed can stay in class as long as they get tested twice if they don't have any symptoms," said John Sasaki with the Oakland Unified School District.
Out of 36,000 students, OUSD says about 850 will continue online classes.
VIDEO: In-line with new state law, Palo Alto Unified to outsource online learning
Palo Alto Unified to outsource online learning
"We've gone through a year and a half of doing everything we could to get students the best education possible and to throw all that away weeks or months before they themselves can get a vaccine I think it's cruel, I think it's wrong," said OUSD teacher Adarene Hoag.
One of the teachers who will remain on zoom is Mark Airgood.
"I don't want to go back myself but I don't want to have any part of bringing children back to these campuses," said Airgood.
RELATED: Bay Area school districts desperate to hire teachers amid shortage
We brought these concerns to Dr. David Cornfield, Chief of Pulmonary, Asthma, and Sleep Medicine and medical director of respiratory therapy at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.
"Even though there are increasing rates of hospitalizations among children who have the COVID-19 infection, those rates remain low," said Dr. Cornfield.
Dr. Cornfield says the best way children can be protected is by wearing a mask and get vaccinated if they are 12 and older.
Luz Pena: "Let's paint the scenario, tomorrow children are going to go back to in-person classes in Oakland and they are going to be in a classroom of maybe 30 other children with a teacher who is vaccinated. Are they at risk?"
Dr. Cornfield: "I think everyone who is not vaccinated is at risk... I think most of us believe that the benefits of school far outweigh the risks of an individual's COVID-19 infection."
[Ads /]
Dr. Cornfield is also urging parents to get vaccinated to protect everyone at home.
CDC COVID-19 Transmission Categories by California County
Map not displaying correctly? Click here to open in a new window.
VACCINE TRACKER: How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine
Having trouble loading the tracker above? Click here to open it in a new window.
RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS:
- Everything to know about California's reopening
- What we know about the delta variant of COVID-19 following new CDC report
- Cheat sheet: What you can and can't do after being fully vaccinated
- Can a workplace require the coronavirus vaccine? Here's what we found
- COVID-19 vaccine: Everything to know about your 2nd Pfizer or Moderna shot
- CA COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: See your status here
- These CA counties are way ahead in vaccinations
- Map shows everywhere you can get a COVID-19 test in the Bay Area
- Data tracker: Coronavirus cases, deaths, hospitalizations in every Bay Area county
- Get the latest updates on California EDD, stimulus checks, unemployment benefits
- Coronavirus origin: Where did COVID-19 come from?
- What is a COVID-19 genetic, antigen and antibody test?
- What does COVID-19 do to your body and why does it spread so easily?
- Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking major moments of COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco Bay Area
[Ads /]