Waivers for in-person learning approved for twelve Monterey County schools

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION)

UPDATE 10/20/2020 4 p.m. The Monterey County Office of Education said waivers for in-person learning have been approved for 12 TK-6 schools.

The following schools have been approved for waivers:

• All Saints Day School
• Anthem Christian School
• Chartwell School
• Santa Catalina School
• Pacific Valley School/Big Sur Unified School District
• San Antonio Union School District
• San Ardo Union Elementary School
• Madonna del Sasso School
• Sacred Heart School
• San Carlos School
• Big Sur Charter School
• Bradley Union Elementary School

Monterey County is in the purple tier of the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy. In that tier, schools are not allowed to reopen for in-person classes, but elementary schools can apply for a waiver.

UPDATE 10/12/2020 10:30 a.m. The Monterey County Health Department announced that seven schools have now been approved for in-person learning waivers.

The schools are:

• All Saints Day School
• Anthem Christian School
• Chartwell School
• Santa Catalina School
• San Antonio Elementary
• Pacific Valley School
• San Ardo Elementary

Monterey County is in the purple tier of the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy. In that tier, schools are not allowed to reopen for in-person classes, but elementary schools can apply for a waiver.

PREVIOUS STORY: Three Monterey County schools have had their applications for in-person learning waivers approved, according to the county health department.

The three schools are:

• All Saints Day School, Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Anthem Christian School, Salinas
• Chartwell School, Seaside

All three schools will need to create plans to follow health guidelines before reopening.

To get a waiver, private school principals/heads of school or executive directors of charter schools can apply for one from the local health officer. The health officer then reviews the application and reopening plan to decide whether to grant it or deny it. After reviewing it, the health officer consults with CDPH about the decision to grant or deny the waiver.

Monterey County is still in the purple tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, so schools cannot reopen county-wide at this point. They are allowed to reopen after counties have been in the red tier for at least two weeks.

Five San Benito County schools previously had waivers approved.