Culver City students begin returning to classes

Wave Staff Report

CULVER CITY — Students began returning to in-person classroom instruction April 5 for the first time since the pandemic began, with additional safety and health protocols in place.

Transitional kindergarteners through second graders were the first to return to classes. Students in third through fifth grades will return to classes beginning April 12.

The Culver City Unified School District told parents that the district was at the mercy of the state’s colored tiers and could shift the plan if there is a major spike in cases or if Los Angeles County moves into a more restrictive tier, but the district is hopeful that the return to campus for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year will be permanent.

Scheduled cleanings are planned in each classroom and each school site will have a nurse or health technician at the location daily.

Custodians are wiping down high touch points multiple times throughout the day and sanitizing classrooms daily. There is a checklist/maintenance log on each room and bathroom. Also, custodians have been through rigorous training on additional cleaning.

Schools have also updated their air filtration systems. Heating and air conditioning systems have been reconfigured to allow for open doors and windows to maximize ventilation and bipolar ionization devices have been installed throughout the district to purify the air.

The district also is providing personal protective equipment for teachers and students, including face masks, tape to show distance for six feet, face shields, sanitizer stations, extra soap and hand-washing stations. Partitions also will be placed in areas where distancing is difficult to maintain.

Students are required to wear cloth face masks. Parents can choose what kind of mask for their child as long as it covers both the nose and mouth.

Each teacher will have an extra supply of one-time use facial masks for students who may need a covering.