Partial reopening of LAUSD schools - during the Coronavirus pandemic.

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13, 2021 - - First grade student Alexis Tenorio works on an English exercise as Marcela Tiscareno teaches from a distance on the first day of class at the 9th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles on April 13, 2021. Around 12 students returned for the gradual reopening of LAUSD schools with kindergartners and 1st graders participating at the school. Some Los Angeles Unified Schools reopened for in-person classes, with safety standards and mandatory COVID-19 testing of students in place. The Los Angeles school district began a gradual and partial reopening plan on Tuesday, one that was heavily influenced by teachers union demands that led to a delayed start date and limited live instructional time and also by strict safety imperatives shared by both the district and union. The key safety provisions including mandatory coronavirus testing for students and staff as well as six-foot distancing between desks go beyond what health authorities require. The distancing policy has resulted in a half-time on-campus classroom schedule. The timing of reopening about two months after elementary campuses were eligible to reopen was set to allow teachers and other district staff to achieve maximum vaccine immunity. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)