According to the State COVID Blueprint, schools in counties within Tier 1 (Purple and most restrictive) are not permitted to reopen for in-person instruction, with an exception for waivers granted by local health departments for TK-6 grades. Schools that are not authorized to reopen, including TK-6 schools that have not received a waiver, may provide structured, in-person supervision and services to students under the Guidance for Small Cohorts/Groups of Children and Youth.

Schools are eligible for reopening fully for in-person instruction following California School Sector Specific Guidelines once the county is out of Tier 1 (and thus in Tier 2) for at least 14 days, which is similar to being off the County Data Monitoring List for at least 14 days. A local health jurisdiction may continue to implement or maintain more restrictive public health measures if the local health officer determines that health conditions in that jurisdiction warrant such measures.

As stated in the July 17th School Re-opening Framework (PDF), schools are not required to close if a county moves back to Tier 1, but should consider surveillance testing of staff.

• Student, family, and staff population: Who will be impacted by or can serve as partners in implementing any of the measures in your plan?
• Ability to implement or adhere to measures: Do staff, students, and families have the tools, information, resources, and ability to adhere to or implement the new measures successfully?
• Negative/unintended consequences: Are there any negative or unintended consequences to staff, students, or families of implementing the measures, and how can those consequences be mitigated?
• Assessing varied student needs: What resources are needed to support students with specific or special needs?