Monterey County schools prepare for start of academic year

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) With the start of the school year just around the corner, school districts are making sure kids are prepared.

North Salinas High School on Kip Drive is hosting a drive-through registration event through July 31. Sophomores can register at the school on Wednesday. The school is expecting over 400 students to come through this drive through registration event on Wednesday alone.

The drive through registration is something new this year in response to the pandemic and social distancing.

Students would normally go to in person but now North High and other high schools within the district are making this a no contact experience.

Students begin the registration online then drive up to drop off their forms and pick up a chromebook laptop.

The school has one day set aside for each grade level.

Parents KION spoke with say the event ran smoothly and makes them feel safer during the pandemic.

“I think it’s good, we’re all doing our part. Today is going really smooth. For some parents, it may be difficult, but for us, we’re doing good,” said parent Maricela Aguilar.

The school wants to make sure students can get what they need before the academic year starts with online classes on August 10.

On the peninsula, MPUSD will offer free immunizations for middle schoolers at two drive-up mobile clinics:

• Wednesday, July 29th @ Los Arboles Middle School:  2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Thursday, July 30th @ Seaside High School: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Students are required by state law to have their TDAP vaccination before entering 7th grade so while classes might be online, the district said it’s important for students to get them now in case campus reopens in the future.

Here’s how it works: parents drive up their students to the immunization site, which was Los Arboles Middle School in Marina Wednesday afternoon.

The TDAP vaccines are free of charge and no insurance is needed. Parents will just need to sign an authorization form for the student.

TDAP stands for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, or whooping cough.

This immunization is a requirement for the start of the school year and the school wants to make sure students are prepared for when the campus reopens.

“The state of California has not made any changes to the guidance on the requirements for immunizations prior to starting school and in an effort to ensure that our families have access to getting the necessary immunizations–shots that they have to have–prior to school, we wanted to offer an opportunity,” Assistant Superintendent Donnie Everett said.

Students and parents can stay in the car and are asked to keep their face coverings on. There will be another chance for middle schoolers to get vaccinated Thursday at Seaside High School from 2:00-4:00 p.m.