L.A. Unified superintendent details challenges of reopening schools

Before schools in Los Angeles Unified can reopen, there needs to be sufficient coronavirus testing available for staff and students as well as robust contact tracing, Superintendent Austin Beutner reiterated in a televised speech. Beutner said it should be up to health officials, not schools, to administer the testing and develop the contact tracing.

Beutner also said that if schools reopen, there could be “hybrid” schedules in place, with some students in classrooms and other students learning from home. Those students would switch places depending on the day.

To highlight the complexities of safely returning to schools, Beutner pointed to Topanga Elementary, which is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. The school has 315 students and staff who live across 15 zip codes. They collectively have 53 siblings and other family members who are enrolled in an additional 10 schools across the district that have more than 8,000 combined students and staff.

“The 8,418 people in these 11 schools go home to another maybe 20,000 people. Those in school at Topanga Canyon Elementary are connected to almost 30,000 people in their school community,” Beutner said. “… Schools need to plan for fewer student interactions with each other and with staff and fewer interactions between staff and with families. Scientists tell us this will also help identify and isolate those who do contract the virus to keep it from spreading further.”