LA Unified Superintendent explains what needs to happen before schools reopen

Los Angeles Unified Supt. Austin Beutner on Monday outlined four components that must be addressed before reopening schools:

• A reduction in the level of Covid-19 community spread in Los Angeles.
• Clear school safety standards set by the state.
• Risk-mitigating health practices put in place by schools.
• Vaccinations for school staff provided by health authorities.

In his prepared remarks, he questioned the reasoning behind reopening certain establishments, such as malls and cardrooms.

“It’s been 10 very long months and the Los Angeles area has yet to meet the state COVID standards for schools to reopen,” Beutner said. “If schools are truly a priority, why are malls and cardrooms being allowed to reopen when the Los Angeles area is nowhere close to meeting the state standards for schools to reopen?”

Beutner, superintendent of California’s largest school district, has remained an ardent critic of the state’s plan to reopen schools. According to his prepared remarks, LA Unified and its labor partners, plus six other large school districts in the state, will soon be meeting with Gov. Newsom’s staff and health advisers to further discuss the state’s new reopening standards.

Beutner has advocated for using LA schools as vaccination sites and most recently on Monday sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting additional vaccines to administer at school sites across the district.

“As we begin implementation of this program, we would respectfully ask your administration to consider providing an additional allotment of vaccine doses for this pilot program, which will help provide access in the communities hardest hit by the virus,” wrote Beutner in a letter co-signed with Los Angeles Supervisor Hilda Solis. “As we prove this model can work, this can be an example for other local communities across the country.”