Monterey County case rate low enough for some schools to reopen

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The Monterey County Office of Education announced that the county's COVID-19 adjusted case rate has dropped low enough to allow K-6 schools to reopen for in-person instruction.

The office of education said schools can now finalize their plans to reopen those grades after they post their COVID Safety Plan, with the COVID Prevention Policy and School Guidance Checklist on their website. The plan also needs to be submitted to the health department and California State Safe Schools for All Team for review.

Once the plan is submitted, the health department and state team have seven days to review it and provide feedback. If they do not get back to the school by the eighth business day, the school may reopen.

“As each and every district, charter school and private school is unique, there will not be a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Dr. Deneen Guss, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools. “Schools are carefully considering the safety of students and staff and will announce specific plans that meet their varied and individualized needs.”

Some schools in the county were already approved for waivers to reopen before the process was eliminated or worked with small groups of students under the Small Group California Department of Public Health guidelines.

Schools reopening in-person will be required to follow CDPH guidance that includes requirements for physical distancing, limiting class sizes and maintaining stable cohorts.

The office of education said there will still be options for distance learning if families do not feel comfortable sending students back in-person.