L.A. County Will Open School Waiver Program for Grades TK-2, Pasadena Unified’s Next Move Unknown

After a motion was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced plans to open the school waiver program for in-person instruction for grades TK-2.

Although the County will offer waivers, the Pasadena Unified School District is not required to open schools and so far has not commented on the program.

The County’s school waiver program will begin accepting applications in early October for 30 schools per week and prioritize the issuance of waivers to schools with higher percentages of students qualified for free/reduced meals.

Superintendents must submit school district waiver requests to re-open for approval by the local Health Officer. The decision to grant a waiver will be based on ensuring that schools are able to open in full adherence with the L.A. County school re-opening protocols.

The process requires consultation with the California Department of Public Health prior to accepting or rejecting waiver applications.

The move comes after the County avoided a feared Labor Day spike in coronavirus cases.

The County is still listed in the state’s highest-risk category for COVID-19 under its four-tier economic recovery roadmap. The county is in the “purple”’ tier, signifying continued widespread transmission of the virus locally.

The application process will be available online at publichealth.lacounty.gov and will be launched in early October.