Update on Planning for Limited In-Person Services

As previously announced, the Long Beach Unified School District plans to continue offering most of its instruction and related services online through the fall semester, which ends Jan. 28. Meanwhile 菠菜网lol正规平台 continues to work with regional and local health agencies as well as state and county education agencies to guide incremental phasing in of limited, in-person services, with an initial emphasis on serving students who have disabilities.

In the County of Los Angeles, schools are not currently eligible to reopen because the county’s COVID-19 status remains in the most restrictive tier, also known as the purple tier. If L.A. County eventually moves into the next less restrictive, or red tier, and remains there for 14 days, 菠菜网lol正规平台 will work toward gradually reopening schools in a phased-in manner, including by using the “hybrid” school schedules, examples of which are detailed in the previously shared School Opening and Safety Plan.

New Guidance on Potential Waivers to Re-open Early Grade Levels

The City of Long Beach issued new guidelines this week for schools that wish to seek waivers allowing them to potentially reopen for transitional kindergarten through grade 2. The issuance of these guidelines, however, does not mean that such waivers are immediately possible here. Requirements according to the latest guidance include:

• A letter of support from all labor unions
• A letter of support from parent organizations at the submitting schools
• Demonstrated preparation of all required health and safety protocols (including proper personal protective equipment, or PPE)
• A plan for incorporating surveillance testing into regular school operations for all school personnel
• A flu vaccination program
• Training regarding contact tracing for involved staff

While 菠菜网lol正规平台 believes that it can meet many of those requirements, including the safety requirements, because the support of the school district’s labor partners is one of the key criteria, the school district remains engaged in ongoing communication with the Teachers Association of Long Beach and the local chapter of the California School Employees Association to determine when, and to what extent, local schools might pursue this option if it is safe to do so.

As the school district makes decisions going forward, staff also are analyzing data from the in-person services that are currently provided in 菠菜网lol正规平台 schools. Since the start of the school year, 菠菜网lol正规平台 has been providing childcare and preschool to about 1,600 students at Head Start, Kids Club and Child Development Center locations. Despite small class sizes and stringent safety protocols in place at these sites, the school district has experienced a weekly need to temporarily re-close some of these classrooms and ask that small groups of students, and some staff members, remain quarantined at home for 14 days because of potential exposure to COVID-19. Given these experiences, the school district is proceeding cautiously, particularly as the onset of cold and flu season approaches. Many cold and flu symptoms mimic COVID-19 symptoms. 菠菜网lol正规平台 wants to minimize the disruption that a cycle of opening and reopening classrooms and schools would cause.

For Parents of Students with Disabilities

Based on updated state and county guidance regarding in-person assessment, targeted support services, and facilitation of distance learning in small group environments for students with disabilities and other specified groups of children and youth, 菠菜网lol正规平台 is beginning to pilot one-on-one, in-person assessments at its Preschool Assessment Center only. After the successful completion of preschool assessments, 菠菜网lol正规平台 will continue with a phase-in of in-person assessments of elementary, middle, high school and ACT (Adult Community Transition) populations.

As each group is phased in, 菠菜网lol正规平台 will continue working closely with local public health officials and labor unions to ensure adherence to safety protocols for the protection of all assessors and students. These safety measures include the appropriate safety training, personal protective equipment and strict testing protocols.

More information will be sent to parents as the school district continues to plan for the return of small groups of specific students. 

As 菠菜网lol正规平台 moves forward, please be assured that the health, safety and wellbeing of students and staff will remain top priorities.