Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced its campuses will have a staggered reopening schedule when returning in April.

Elementary school and early education programs will start phasing its in-person classes on April 13, with middle and high schoolers going back starting April 27.

LAUSD teachers, faculty and school staff will return to campuses a day before students on either April 12, 19 or 26, depending on their cohorts schedule. On those dates, they will review COVID-19 safety protocols and have walk-throughs before they begin working with students.

“The reopening of schools isn’t a simple exercise,” LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner said. “COVID safety protocols and testing, class schedules and lesson plans, after school programs, transportation, meals and much more all need to come together at a school. In order to do this safely and smoothly, we’ll stagger the reopening of each school over several days.”

All LAUSD students and staff will begin testing for COVID-19 a week before they return as a “baseline test,” and then will test every week moving forward. All tests will be free and provided by the district.

LAUSD surveyed elementary school parents on whether they’d like their children to return to school in person, and 49% answered that they’d prefer on campus instruction.

In-person participation is still voluntary, and full online instruction will still be provided should parents not want their kids going back.

For those returning, the scheduled returns look like this:

Elementary Schools and Early Education Centers

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A total of 61 elementary schools and 11 early education programs will return on the week of April 12. The rest of the schools return the week of April 19. Teachers will return to campuses first, followed by the first round of kindergarten and first grade classes on Tuesday April 13. Second and Third grade classes will then begin on Wednesday, April, 14, followed by fourth and fifth grade classes Thursday, April 15.

The same progression will follow the week of April 19 for the second wave of elementary school reopenings, with teachers going in that Monday and the corresponding grades, Tuesday through Thursday of that week.

Middle Schools and High Schools

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Middle and high schools will start in late April, with teachers returning Monday, April 26. They will also have a staggered reopening in two cohorts with students grade six and nine starting either Tuesday, April 27 or April 28.

Then middle schoolers grade seven through eight and high schoolers grade 10 through 12 returning either Thursday, April 29 or April 30, depending on their cohort.

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