Los Angeles Unified is moving ahead with plans to reopen 61 elementary schools and 11 early education centers the week of April 12, the district's superintendent announced Monday.
Most of California's 6.1 million students in 1,037 public school districts have been learning from home since last March because of the pandemic. Long Beach, Glendale, Downey and Manhattan Beach unified school districts are ahead of LAUSD and welcomed back some students Monday, with most schools operating on a limited schedule and prioritizing the youngest students.
"To put this in perspective, these 72 schools we are opening the week of April 12 would be, by themselves, the eighth-largest school district in the state,'' Superintendent Austin Beutner said in his weekly address.
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LAUSD's reopened elementary schools will offer three hours of focused work in literacy, math, science and social studies, as well as recess and lunch, in addition to homework help and enrichment activities such as painting, dance and yoga.
Families also may choose to continue online learning rather than going back to the classroom.
Families also may choose to continue online learning rather than going back to the classroom.
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Reopenings will be staggered at each school over several days, starting with the youngest students. Kindergarten and first-grade students will return to school April 13; grades 2 and 3 on April 14; and 4th and 5th graders on April 15.
Remaining elementary schools and early education centers will have their own staggered openings the week of April 19, and middle and high schools will open the week of April 26.
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District officials emphasized that they will maintain rigorous safety practices and protocols, and all on-site students and staff will be required to receive weekly COVID-19 tests, including a baseline test the week prior to returning to school.
Specific dates for the reopening of individual schools and grades were shared by school principals last week and can be found on Los Angeles Unified's website or individual school websites.
Schools are expected to share detailed information about schedules next week, including updated information for families who choose to have their children continue with online instruction.
California COVID-19 Vaccinations
The map tracks the number of doses administered by a recipient's county of residence according to the The California Department of Public Health.
Source: The statewide totals for doses administered reflect Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Otherwise we used data from the California Department of Public Health.
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