Monterey Hills Elementary School (Photo – spusd)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, coauthored by Supervisor Janice Hahn, that will enable elementary schools to begin applying for a waiver to reopen grades TK-2 in schools, prioritizing schools with a high number of low-income students.
By News Desk
Earlier this month, L.A. County opened schools for Individualized Education Programs, which were limited to a small subset of students. While schools cannot fully reopen until the county advances into the state’s second tier, there is currently an opportunity to allow waivers for elementary schools. This would enable limited in-person instruction for children whose ages benefit most from classroom learning.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said:
The closure of schools in L.A. County has severely impacted families and students throughout our communities. In addition to diminished access to quality education, we have seen a decline in the social and emotional well-being of children and youth. As October approaches, it is crucial that we begin the process of reopening schools at limited capacity and provide ample time for schools to slowly bring students, teachers and staff back to campus.
“Our residents have made sacrifices to slow the spread of this virus and were even able to avoid a spike in cases after Labor Day,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “With the support of our public health experts, these waivers are a way to start bringing more students back to school safely. For this to work, we need to make sure that each school that reopens does so only after parent input along with having support from the teachers and staff.”
The motion directs the Department of Public Health to implement the school waiver program for grades TK-2, in 30 schools with a higher percentage of low-income students, divided among the five supervisorial districts in the county.
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