Coronavirus: More than 10,200 LAUSD students choose independent study, won’t return to campus
The figure represents just over 2% of district’s student population but a nearly eightfold increase in enrollment as compared to before the pandemic
By Linh Tat. LA Daily News, 8/6/21
More than 10,200 Los Angeles Unified students had enrolled in the district’s independent study program for the upcoming school year as of Friday morning, Aug. 6 — a nearly eightfold increase in enrollment compared to before the coronavirus pandemic — according to a district spokeswoman.
LAUSD officials had asked families to enroll by Friday if they do not wish to send their children back to campus for in-person instruction when the school year begins on Aug. 16. The number of students that had signed up for the City of Angels independent study program by the close of the business day on Friday was not immediately available, but as of the morning, 10,280 pupils, or just over 2% of district students, had enrolled, the spokeswoman said.
Before the pandemic, 1,322 students were enrolled in City of Angels, she said.
Assuming the enrollment numbers do not change significantly from Friday morning, that means about 98% of students are expected to return to campuses this fall. For many, it will be their first time back in a brick-and-mortar classroom since March 2020, when the pandemic forced schools to abruptly close.
We are at a moment of truth and a crossroads. Will we allow these people to use fear and propaganda to do further harm to our society, economy, and children?
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 8, 2021
Or will we stand together and say, absolutely not. Not this time. I choose freedom. pic.twitter.com/XrI2tjdAHW
Although the percentage of students planning to learn through the independent study program is low, the nearly eightfold increase in enrollment signals that thousands of families aren’t yet willing to send their children back to campuses, despite repeated insistence by district officials that schools are safe spaces during the pandemic.
Stephanie De La Cruz and her husband decided to keep all four of their children home this coming school year because one is immunocompromised, and they did not want to take a chance that any of their children might bring the coronavirus home from school.
Coronavirus: More than 10,200 LAUSD students choose independent study, won’t return to campus
The decision not to send their children back in person was particularly hard on De La Cruz’s oldest daughter, who, while understanding of her family’s situation, was hoping to return to campus her senior year of high school.
The most difficult part about giving up the in-person experience, De La Cruz said, is that her children won’t be able to participate in their regular school’s extracurricular activities. De La Cruz’s oldest daughter was active in student government, she said.
But De La Cruz is taking the pandemic seriously, having lost six family members to COVID-19 last year, the East L.A. resident said.
“I am not for the kids returning right now,” she said, noting that even though LAUSD will be having staff and students undergo weekly COVID-19 testing as a precaution, there’s no guarantee children won’t contract or transmit the virus.
To date, six children in L.A. County have died due to the coronavirus, including a child under the age of 12 with an underlying health condition who died just this week.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s extremely rare for a child to die from the coronavirus. And LAUSD officials maintain the district has adopted the highest health and safety standards and using multiple mitigation measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission. This includes masking requirements, regular COVID-19 testing, upgraded air filtration systems, improved cleaning regimens and making vaccines available to those in the community who want them.
Still, some families are still uncertain about sending their children back to campus.
While Friday was the deadline to sign up for independent study, families can switch from in-person learning to the online program throughout the school year. Officials, though, are encouraging families to wait until the end of the semester if they plan to switch.
“While it may be possible for students to switch between the in-person and online programs at any time, this may cause disruptions to a student’s learning because they may be learning with different teachers and different lessons,” the district said in a statement.
