Here's What You Need To Know As LAUSD Schools Reopen Monday

Monday marks the start of the fall semester in the Los Angeles Unified School District, as schools throughout the city welcome students back to campus — some of them for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Unlike last spring, when some students returned to school under a "hybrid" model, L.A. Unified classrooms will look pretty much like they did before the pandemic: no six-foot spacing between student desks, no Zoom classes, no morning or afternoon shifts.

But classrooms will still be regularly disinfected, and students and teachers will still have to wear masks. They’ll also need weekly COVID-19 tests, whether they are vaccinated or not. And by Oct. 15, as the school district announced last week, all staff will have to be fully vaccinated.

All this is happening as the delta variant spreads and cases among children are on the rise, which has prompted some LAUSD parents to choose independent study.

LAUSD has this FAQ for families as most students return to in-person instruction. And we've compiled our own list of helpful links as the new school year begins, in L.A. Unified and in other local school districts, some of which have already resumed classes:

• Get Ready For LAUSD’s First Day: We Answer 8 Big Questions About Reopening Schools In A Pandemic: The answers to important questions about what to expect as LAUSD campuses reopen, like what safety precautions are being taken, COVID-19 testing for students, and what happens if a school experiences an outbreak.

• SoCal Students Are Headed Back To School. What COVID-19 Rules Will They Have To Follow? We walk through the universal safety guidelines for schools from the state — for example, mask wearing — and how different local districts are handling them.

• Back To School: Basic Reopening Plans For Public Schools In LA County There are 80 public school district in L.A. County, including LAUSD. Here's a guide to what is opening when, with links to each district's website (in alphabetical order).

• How To Keep Your Child Safe From The Delta Variant What every parent wants to know, with tips from several public health experts — all parents — about their personal strategies for keeping their kids and families safe these days.

• Going Back To School Might Cause Anxiety For A Lot Of Kids. Here's How You Can Help We published these tips on how to help kids adjust last spring, as schools were first reopening after the pandemic shutdown, and they're just as valuable now.

• All LAUSD Staff Will Be Required To Be Vaccinated By October 15 Details about LAUSD's new requirement that all district staff be vaccinated by mid-October, which goes a step beyond what the state is requiring.

Happy first day of school, LAUSD families. And kids, keep those masks on.