We, the concerned students, parents, and community of Cincinnati Public Schools are petitioning the Board of Education to reverse their decision to move forward with blended, in-person learning on February 1, 2021. 

Hamilton County is currently rated Level 4 (Purple) for the second week in a row on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System, which declares a public emergency, due to the severe level of exposure and spread of the coronavirus in our area. 

Vaccines could be available to our teachers in a few weeks, but there is no guarantee. The state has already announced delays. Our teachers and students deserve to have the safest possible return with teachers vaccinated, and an improved rate of spread before their return. This one-month delay is small in the grand scheme of this pandemic but will do much to keep the community safe.

Many teachers, parents, and students, expressed their grave concerns for return on Wednesday, January 20, in the public comment of the School Board Meeting. Only one school board member asked for a reconsideration of this decision, requesting a delay until March 1. It is imperative that the board hear these concerns and considers them in their decisions.

We humbly ask that the board reverse their decision and do not revisit the matter until vaccinations are underway and our Public Health Advisory level has dropped safely out of Level 4. In addition, we ask that the board hold firm to data they have outlined to determine safe return rather than moving the goal post at each passing school board meeting. 

We thank you for your consideration of the safety and well-being of ourselves, our children, our families, and our community.