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Education
After more than a year of remote learning, San Diego County’s largest school districts began to reopen classrooms in March and April.
San Diego Unified School District launched part-time in-person instruction on April 12. About half of the district’s approximately 100,000 students returned to campuses, according to district officials. More students are expected to come back in the coming weeks and months.
But the student experience is far from back to normal. Districts are strictly following comprehensive guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that includes physical distancing, ventilation and hygiene practices.
Chula Vista Elementary School District, the largest K-6 district in the state, also resumed in-person instruction on April 12. Sweetwater Union High School District, the state’s largest high school district, is taking smaller steps towards reopening. It welcomed back 10% of students back on April 12, prioritizing the most high-needs students, like those with disabilities and English learners.
Poway Unified School District’s middle and high schools resumed in-person instruction in March. About 54% of middle schoolers and 44% of high schoolers have returned to the classroom.
Both elementary and secondary schools are permitted to stay open in California as long as the county remains out of the "purple tier", the state's most restrictive COVID-19 tier. According to the latest CDC guidelines released on March 19, elementary grade students can sit as close as 3 feet apart. Middle and high schools have stricter criteria, and most of them will need to practice 6 feet of physical distancing.
Most districts expect to reopen classes by the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
Search the table below to see plans for your school.
Full-time in-person learning
These students are scheduled to receive 100% of their instructional program from a teacher who is in the same physical location as the students. Virtual instruction and/or independent learning are not used in this learning format. School enrichment programs (ASES/ASSETS), childcare programs, individual assessments, and other special services that do not involve a teacher providing instruction to students in the same physical location as the teacher are not considered in-person learning.
Hybrid learning
Students in hybrid learning are scheduled to participate in a mix of in-person and distance learning in any proportion.
Distance learning
Students in this learning format do not regularly receive instruction from a teacher who is physically located in the same place as their students. Cohorts/schools that have been temporarily shifted to distance learning for quarantine are reported as part of distance learning totals until they return to in-person learning.
— San Diego County Office of Education
The interactive map below, launched by the state of California, shows a snapshot view of the status of school reopenings across California.
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