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L.A. County Public Health Releases School Reopening Protocols Amid Pandemic

Complying with state mandates and national health advisories, the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health has established a staged approach guide to enable K-12 schools to resume safely upon alleged fall 2020 campus reopenings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Based on the expectation that conditions will permit a widespread in-person campus return in L.A. County for the upcoming school year, Public Health protocols are anticipated to provide a safe learning environment for students, parents and faculty.

K-12 school districts are advised to additionally supplement alternative measures if by chance incidences of COVID-19 worsen or science concerning further spread emerges, resulting in a potential return to exclusively remote learning, according to Public Health. 

“With the uncertainty that we face right now in our county, everyone needs to have sort of a ‘plan B’ around the reopening,” said Barbara Ferrer, Public Health Director in a press briefing on Monday. “You absolutely would not want to open a sector when you thought the result of reopening could be an explosion of outbreaks within that sector.”

Since 10,000 children under the age of 18 have been positively diagnosed with COVID-19 within L.A. County as of Monday evening, methods of learning via in-person, blended and virtual models continue to be considered by Public Health and the superintendents of Santa Clarita’s five school districts. 

In addition to the conditions imposed on schools by the state public health officer and the California Department of Education, schools must also be in compliance with these employee, student safety and infection control protocols. 

Related: L.A. County Health Officials Discuss School Reopening With Santa Clarita Superintendents

The plan includes, but is not limited to the following elements: 

  • A designated COVID-19 Compliance Team that is responsible for establishing and enforcing all COVID-19 safety protocols and ensuring that staff and students receive education about COVID-19. 
  • One member of this team is designated as a liaison to DPH in the event of an outbreak on campus. A plan or protocol, for steps that will be taken immediately upon notification of school officials that any member of the school community (faculty, staff, student or visitor) tests positive for, or has symptoms consistent with COVID-19. The plan addresses: 
    • Immediate separation of the case from the school community to self-isolation at home if notification occurs while the case is on-site. The plan must allow for temporary, on-site isolation of the case if arrangements are needed for the person’s return to their home.
    • Contingency plans for full or partial closure of in-person school operations if that should become necessary based on an outbreak in the school or community.

Additional precautions are in place to ensure physical distancing as students, parents or visitors enter and move through the school building. These include: 

  • School employees are deployed in hallways to assure physical distancing as students enter, go through symptom checks and proceed to classrooms.
  • School employees are deployed in hallways throughout the day as needed to assure physical distance as students move between classrooms or from classrooms to other school locations. 

Measures are in place to ensure physical distancing within classrooms. These include: 

  • Limited K-12 in-person class sizes. 
  • The school day has been divided into shifts to permit fewer students per class. 
  • Attendance is staggered to reduce the overall number of students in classrooms on a given day. 
  • Some classes have been moved entirely online. 
  • Online class attendance is offered as an option for students for whom it is feasible and for students who may be at elevated risk in a regular classroom. 
  • Alternative spaces are used to reduce the number of students within classrooms. These may include: the school library, auditorium, gymnasium and cafeteria.
  • Classroom furniture is set up to ensure six feet between students at their desks/tables and between students and teachers (placement of desks/tables, use of floor markings to indicate required distance, etc.) to the extent feasible. Where six feet of distance is not possible, physical barriers are used to minimize close contacts.
  • Furniture designed for in-class group activities that bring students closer than six feet has been reconfigured or removed from the classroom.
  • Nap or rest areas in classrooms have students placed six feet apart and alternating feet to head. 
  • Teaching methods have been modified to avoid close contact between students in laboratories and other classes that may usually involve group activities.

Measures are in place to ensure physical distancing of students on school busses. These include: 

  • A maximum of one child is permitted per bus seat. Use of alternating rows. 
  • Staggered school start times to permit more than one trip per bus at school start and close. 
  • Implementation of measures that make it easier for parents to drive students to school, such as availability of early opening with staff presence, expanded short-term parking at schools, and presence of staff at drop-off areas to assure safe movement of students from drop-off to school entry.
  • Implementation of measures that facilitate safe and age-appropriate student travel to school including Safe Routes to School walking groups, use of school crossing guards, bicycle safety and bike route programming.

City busses coordinating drop-off to nearby Hart District schools have been maintaining social distancing requirements with a maximum capacity of 15 people per bus as of March, according to city officials. 

The full list of updated protocols can be found here or visit the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health website.


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L.A. County Public Health Releases School Reopening Protocols Amid Pandemic

14 comments

  1. Don’t come out to AwesomeTown and buy a million dollar home when the school board members could care less about our kids. Teachers afraid to go back to work but will shop
    at Target for a few hours. Get their hair and nails done etc. but can’t go back to work. Looks like we should let all the substitutes that are wishing for a permanent position in the school districts should get a chance to fill the spots and allow the teachers to stay home because of fear. Fear of a virus that has been politicized. First responders work. Retail work. Restaurant workers work.

    But keep collecting those paychecks teachers who are too afraid to go to work. You should be replaced. Our children deserve a education!!!!!

    • We have seen that teachers are non essential workers. Maybe now we can defund the liberal disease that has worked its way into our public schools.

      Defund schools.
      Put that money elsewhere.
      Reduce teacher benefits only adds to a substantial savings.
      Seems like schools only function is to feed kids and provide daycare. So why do we throw so much money at them only to consistently be near last in education quality?

      Defund schools and teachers.

    • You are so full of it. WTF planet do you live on?

      • Oh look another lib scared that the systemic brainwashing of our youth may disappear.
        Go hide in your safe space, we’re taking our country back from you nut jobs.

  2. We need to get the kids back in school. The teachers can wear a mask. There is zero chance these kids can give the teacher a virus. Also, keep the kids home if they are sick.

    • I agree with you Rose 100%that the students need to return to school in the fall. There are many creative
      methods to keep students, teachers safe.
      (Staggering hours, work outside, wear masks,etc….) There are too many excuses by the teacher’s unions
      to not open as scheduled. Kids are paying a high price for all the bickering going on. Grocery clerks, retail clerks,
      all face the same dilemma. You don’t have to be a “specialist” to use common sense. The fear of this virus has become overblown and fear has become worse than the virus.

      • Teachers didn’t sign up for putting their lives on the line for your kids. There is no guarantee that kids will follow guidelines. How are you supposed to make sure kids are keeping their masks on and keeping, at least, 6 feet apart? Kids will be kids after all.

        What if a child, unknowingly, is sick and infects his/her teacher? The teacher then brings it home to their family and gets their children or even parents sick. What if someone in their family dies because of that one child? How is that fair to the teacher and their family? Teachers aren’t paid to risk their lives for your children. They are paid to teach your children. They never signed up for any of this and yet they are being put in the middle of this whole mess.

        The Teachers Unions are looking out for the teachers, because no one else will.

        I understand that people need their children babysat so they can go back to work, but no life is worth risking when all this can be done online.

  3. ‘0’ percent chance? Are you sure? I agree we need to get back to school. But let’s look at the science before making such an erroneous statement. As long as we have a set plan in place, I’m ready to return to class. Social emotional needs have to take priority right now.

  4. It would be great if you were a specialist and you really knew that for sure! We’d all love to hear that. What about all of the adults that interact/work among each other on a school campus…parent volunteers, teacher assistants, office staff, custodial staff, nurses, itinerant specialists (speech,etc), teachers, psychologists, traveling art teachers, traveling music teachers…

    • Since Covid isn’t going away (until November lolol) maybe consider a new profession or offer services in home? A lot of fearful people would gladly hire speech, psychologist, teachers for in home services. Then make way for healthy, willing and able people to be hired to replace you so that kids can continue THEIR ESSENTIAL EDUCATION.

  5. That’s why Renee went back over there yesterday to harass more people. You can find the video on Instagram @boycottbergies

  6. 22 other countries opened their schools in the Spring with success meaning no major outbreaks amongst students or staff, but here this isn’t about science and results, it is purely political. The union is already using this to demand defunding charter schools. What does this have to do with Covid? Nothing. It is all posturing to implement their policies.

  7. Well said Charlotte!!! Sub teachers are totally
    the best!!!!

  8. The comments here are so beyond the pale. I am ashamed that so many ignorant people live here. Money Trumps our kid’s safety, apparently. I’m outta here.

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About Rachel Matta

Born and raised in Santa Clarita, Rachel Matta has always had a love for writing and media. The first time she ever smiled was actually while she was laying next to her mom as she flipped through the pages of a magazine. Upon graduating from high school in 2019, she chose to major in both journalism and political science at College of the Canyons with the intention of concentrating in news reporting. She began her journey at KHTS as a news intern in the summer of 2020 and officially joined the newsroom in the spring of 2021, intending to move forward with compassion and inquisition.