OCEANSIDE, Calif. – Students in the Oceanside Unified School District will return to the classroom five days a week in the next school year.

The district’s board voted Tuesday to fully reopen schools in the fall in addition to expanding in-person learning this summer. It’s a long-awaited decision for many in the district, including some parents who have been pushing district leaders for months for a fuller reopening.

The Parent Association of Oceanside rallied Tuesday morning before the big announcement.

“This is not working anymore,” rally organizer Allyson Mineau said. “It’s at our children’s expense and (they’re) robbed of their education, really.”

The district is one of six in North County named in a lawsuit by the Parents Association to have schools reopen for in-person learning, yet Oceanside Unified remains one of the only North County public school districts not fully reopened.

Under the approved plan, the district will offer in-person learning this summer for elementary and middle school students along with in-person credit recovery for high school students.

By the start of fall, all students are expected to be back in the classroom on a full-time basis.

“I truly take offense when anybody says that we’re not listening to our public or our parents,” Board President Stacy Begin said. “We have three board members that are parents. I’m here. I’m finding a way to make it work. We’re all finding a way to make it work and supporting each other.”

All public comment in Tuesday’s board meeting was also in strong favor of reopening schools.

“It’s unfortunate it’s took to this time to happen and right in time for the school year to end,” one man said during public comment.