Los Angeles Unified school officials have ruled out reopening the district’s campuses for in-person instruction when a new school year begins next month, Superintendent Austin Beutner announced Monday.
On August 18, classes will resume in online-only mode — though unlike last spring, Beutner pledged LAUSD students will be able to expect “daily, live engagement” with their teachers.
Beutner did not set a timetable for reopening LAUSD campuses, but promised more details about how the semester will play out by “early August.”
In his video address Monday, he acknowledged the decision would disappoint some parents and that a prolonged closure could lead to “lifelong impacts” for some students. But, he said, L.A. County’s coronavirus testing numbers are headed in the wrong direction:
“Reopening schools will significantly increase the interaction between children and adults from different families. A 10-year-old student might have a 30-year-old teacher, a 50-year-old bus driver or live with a 70-year-old grandmother. All need to be protected. There's a public health imperative to keep schools from becoming a petri dish.”
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