The Los Angeles Unified School District is planning a full return to in-person learning in the fall, Superintendent Austin Beutner announced Monday.
The nation’s second-largest school district will give all students the opportunity to learn on campus when the new school year starts, the superintendent said.
Elementary, middle and high school students will be on campus five days a week for a full day of in-person instruction. Middle and high school children will also again be changing classrooms for each period.
After school programs will be available for both elementary and secondary students from the end of the school day until 6 p.m.
Beutner said students in all grades will still have the option to learn online with teachers.
“Some students and some staff members may need to stay at home until all at schools are vaccinated due to health reasons because they live with an immune-compromised family member,” Beutner said in his weekly briefing.
The district is rolling out an ambitious campaign to vaccinate 12- to 15-year-old students before the end of this school year, with schools that have more than 30% of students vaccinated getting $5,000 for projects at their school.
“We expect the vast majority of students, teachers and staff to be at school every day but recognize that we must provide the online opportunity for those who need it,” the superintendent said.
Teachers and students are expected to still be wearing masks until more children are vaccinated, but “we can’t predict exactly what standards health authorities will tell us are appropriate at that time,” Beutner said
“While we have some sense of what school will look like, our COVID crystal ball is not perfect,” he added.