CA School Districts Can Apply For In-Person Instruction

CALIFORNIA — Public health officials on Tuesday shared more information about a state policy that could allow elementary schools across the state to reopen for in-person learning in the fall, even as middle and high schools remain closed.

The policy — a major caveat to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Friday that most California schools would start the year online — will let school districts apply to their local health departments for a waiver, allowing elementary schools to hold in-school classes.

The state's rationale for allowing elementary schools to reopen is based in part on a South Korean study released this week that traced how children spread COVID-19, state health secretary Mark Ghaly said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon. The study found that children under 10 spread the virus at much lower rates, while older children transmit the virus about as much as adults do.

California’s ban on in-person instruction in the fall applies to all counties on the state’s “watch list” for coronavirus transmission, which included 33 of the state's 58 counties as of Tuesday. But public school superintendents and private school principals can ask their local health officer for a waiver allowing elementary schools to reopen.

The state’s policy, first reported by EdSource, will require county health officers to consult with the state health department and other groups before granting the waivers. It is mentioned only as a footnote in the state’s framework document for reopening K-12 schools.

“A waiver may only be granted if one is requested by the superintendent (or equivalent for charter or private schools), in consultation with labor, parent and community organizations,” the document states, adding that local health officers must consider local health data before granting a waiver.

Ghaly noted Tuesday that school closures have been especially harmful to the state's youngest students, who may miss out on important developmental gains normally reached through schooling.

"It's for that reason the governor created an opportunity to get back to on-campus, in-person learning sooner," Ghaly said.

Friday afternoon, the Santa Clara County public schools superintendent sent a letter encouraging both public and private elementary schools to apply for the waiver, “so that they can safely resume in-person instruction this fall.”

Uncertainties remain about the waiver policy, including whether teachers unions, which have been largely opposed to reopening schools in the fall, would be part of the “consultation” process for districts seeking the waiver. School superintendents have been fielding numerous questions since the waiver policy was announced Friday, according to EdSource.

Another possibility is that school districts could start the year online-only for most students, but get waivers allowing in-person classes for “high-needs students,” such as students without internet access and students with disabilities, EdSource reported.

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Full coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know