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What Does It Take To Get A School Reopening Waiver In LA County?
(Chava Sanchez/LAist)
Los Angeles County remains in the state’s most restrictive reopening tier, which means K-12 schools in the county still cannot reopen their doors and welcome everybody back to campus just yet.
But, starting today, there’s a new way to get the county’s youngest learners back to school for in-person instruction: schools can apply for waivers from the rules that prevent them from bringing all students back to campus.
Public Health Highlights Infection Control and Distancing to Prevent COVID-19 Spread as Sectors Reopen -
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) October 5, 2020
Seven New Deaths and 472 New Positive Cases of Confirmed #COVID19 in Los Angeles County. View https://t.co/swRrhmNxO0 for more, pic.twitter.com/qpfxDaGAqj
There are some catches, though:
- Any waivers granted will only apply to pre-K through second grade classes.
- The county is approaching this slowly, which means it’ll only grant 30 waivers per week.
- Schools with high percentages of low-income students who qualify for free and reduced price lunch will be “prioritized” in the process.
- It could take public health officials up to three weeks to review applications.
“If we do this well, even if there's a higher rate of transmission in some of our neighborhoods, we shouldn't see that translate to a lot of spread in our schools,” said County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “That's why the students are cohorted to prevent this from becoming a schoolwide outbreak, and that's why infection control and distancing requirements are really stringent in schools.”
READ THE FULL STORY, INCLUDING THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND HOW THEY’LL BE ENFORCED:
READ MORE OF OUR COVERAGE OF THE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS:
- LA County Schools Can Now Apply For Waivers To Reopen Schools For Youngest Kids
- LA County Schools Are Making Plans To Reopen Campuses For Small Groups
- Who's Applying For School Reopening Waivers in Southern California?
- K-12 Schools In Orange County Are Now Allowed To Welcome Back Students
- As Schools Reopen In Orange County, Who’s Making Sure They’re Doing It Safely?
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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