Downey middle and high schools to reopen same day as elementary schools

DOWNEY — Downey Unified School District middle and high school campuses will reopen to students in a hybrid format as of March 29, following a unanimous Board of Education decision on Tuesday.

After more than a year of full-distance learning onset by Covid-19, parents will now have the option to send their students back to school in a hybrid format.

The school district’s elementary campuses received similar news earlier this month, however, secondary schools were not eligible to follow suit until LA County had fallen to “red” tier level statistics and stayed as such for two weeks.

Once this occurred, schools would have a 21-day window to reopen. If schools reopen within that time frame, they may stay open. However, should that time elapse and cases rise to “purple” levels once again, schools not yet open would lose the opportunity.

LA County was assigned to the red tier on Monday, earlier than anticipated. This sets the end of the critical 21-day window on April 4.

The district recently asked its secondary level parents to recommit to either a hybrid model or to remaining in distance learning.

Results showed a shift in over 1,942 students from a previous survey, with 1,091 changing from hybrid to distance learning and 851 from distance learning to hybrid. Overall, the stats presented on Tuesday reflected a 60/40 percent split with most opting to remain distanced.

Officials have expressed, however, that there is some flexibility for parents and students to change their minds and switch after students return.

In-person schedules look slightly different between elementary, elementary special ed, and secondary levels.

Elementary students will be split into groups “A” and “B.” On Mondays and Tuesdays, Group A will attend in-person from 8:30 to 11:30 am, followed by dismissal and “Grab N’ Go” lunch at 11:30 am. Distance learning students and Group B will then have Zoom instruction from 12:20 to 3 pm.

Groups A and B will switch on Thursdays and Fridays.

Special Education will meet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30-11:30 am, with dismissal / “Grab N’ Go” lunch at 11:30 am, and distance zoom learning from 12:20-3 pm.

Wednesdays will be full distance, consisting of two 45-minute blocks from 8:30-9:15 am and 9:30-10:15 am. From 10:30 am to 2 pm, students can participate in PE, math, and STEAM.

The secondary level schedule will remain as what was previously announced, with students broken into three cohorts: A, B, and C.

Cohorts A and B will alternate between in-person and Zoom instruction Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Cohort C will remain full distance.

After three class periods from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, students will be released for grab and go lunch, followed by intervention and enrichment from 1:15 am to 2 pm, and office hours from 2:15-3 pm.

Wednesdays will also be full distance.

More information can be found within Downey Unified’s return to school guide on the district’s website.