Students throughout Southland return to school without strict COVID-19 protocols in place
For the first time in more than three years, hundreds of thousands of students throughout Los Angeles were able to return to class without a ranging series of coronavirus prevention protocols in place.
"I know that COVID is still a thing and there's monkeypox now, so I don't want to get anything," said high school junior Haley Henderson. "I want to keep myself safe."
Monday marked the beginning of yet another school year, though the first since 2020 that students were able to sit in class without mask requirements, weekly COVID-19 testing and the risk of mandatory quarantine after potential exposure to the virus — falling in line perfectly with a relaxed set of guidelines released by the CDC last week.
"I hope each of you are returning to school on Aug. 15 energized and ready for a new year after a refreshing summer break," said Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. "Many of you undoubtedly traveled during the summer months to experience new sites, visit old friends or reconnect with family members after the pandemic lockdowns."
Students were excited to return to class and show off all of their new gear ranging from clothing to backpacks and school supplies.
Along with that excitement came some noted anxiety, which was instantly forgotten upon seeing their friends after two quick months of summer. However, for many parents, parting with their children wasn't as easy.
"I feel excited for them cause they're going back to school, but sad cause I'm gonna miss them at home," said one mother. "It's a whirlwind."
LAUSD officials were well prepared for the moment that the massive student body of over half a million students — the second largest in the United States — returned to class by hiring more than 1,500 qualified teachers across the district.
Even with the influx of new educators, numbers indicate that LAUSD has faced a noted decrease in enrollment this year versus those in the past. Experts say this is because of the cost of living in L.A., prompting families to move elsewhere, as well as opting to make different schooling choices for a variety of reasons both related to and unrelated to coronavirus.
In an effort to bring numbers back up, Carvalho and other district employees set out to door knock throughout Los Angeles County to find children who needed to return to education.
"We have progressively identified the 'Lost Children of Los Angeles. That's my name for them. These are children that dropped out — we thought they were gone," Carvalho said Monday speaking with CBSLA reporter Kara Finnstrom. "Guess what? Many of them are here. Their parents kept them home. In addition to that, recently arrived students, particularly unaccompanied students are here."
Students across the district will benefit from a newly implemented change that requires schools to supply children with free meals regardless of family income.
LAUSD also purchased a series of new buses to accommodate children who needed transportation to and from school, including 10 electric buses that are even equipped with WiFi.
For those parents who opt to pick-up and drop-off students instead, they were urged by both LAUSD police and Los Angeles Police Department to remain vigilant and alert during those times — stressing student safety.
One father named Pierre had already rehearsed what his sons should do while waiting to get picked up after school.
"Respect everybody and look out for any danger," his sons said.
They reminded drivers that students could often be distracted, especially when surrounded by friends.
"Teaching them to be aware of their surroundings, teaching them to cross at the crosswalk, that's gonna be the best practice," said LAPD Officer Ryan Bronk during a press conference ahead of LAUSD's Opening Day. "We don't want kids crossing between parked cars, that's when we see some of our tragedies."
"As they come towards the school gate they get very excited and do some unpredictable things," said LAUSD Deputy Chief Glenn Besunder. "We're asking all drivers, motorists, to expect the unexpected."
With an increased amount of officers expected on campus during at least the first two weeks of the school year as they planned to really push the envelope on student safety, officers advised that students weren't alone in needing to pay attention.
"I think sometimes people are so focused on other things that they don't have their eyes open when they're driving and when you're driving around kids, that's a bad idea," said Lee Mendelson, another father dropping his daughter off on Monday.
The most hectic times are right before the school bell rings, according to police. They urged that parents do their best to make sure they have enough time to get to campus without needing to rush, and if worse comes to worst, not to panic because it's better to be safe.
Officers also reiterated that the most watchful eyes are those of children, and acting in a certain manner may make more of an impression on them than one may think.
"We're the ones that are gonna set the example for them and show they that just because we're late doesn't mean we can disobey the rules and double park and block driveways, things like that," said LAPD Officer Ryan Bronk.
Over the last decade, there have been more than 1,000 reported deadly incidents related to school transportation, the majority of which happened during pick-up and drop-off times, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
