Elementary School Waiver Consultations

As of September 25, 2020

California schools have been closed for in-person instruction since mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. School closures to in-person instruction were part of a broader set of recommendations intended to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) developed the COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Learning Framework to support school communities as they decide when and how to implement in-person instruction for the 2020-21 school year.

This framework permitted schools and school districts to reopen for in-person instruction at any time if they are located in a local health jurisdiction (LHJ) that has not been on the county monitoring list within the prior 14 days. If the LHJ has been on the monitoring list within the last 14 days, the school must conduct distance learning only, until their LHJ has been off the monitoring list for at least 14 days.

In counties on the monitoring list, CDPH guidance allows a district superintendent, private school principal/head of school, or executive director of a charter school to apply for a waiver from the local health officer (LHO) to open an elementary school for in-person instruction. This waiver is applicable only for grades TK-6, even if the grade configuration at the school includes additional grades. The local health officer then reviews the application and reopening plan (along with local community epidemiological data), makes a determination whether to grant or deny the waiver. Following review, the LHO will consult with CDPH regarding the determination whether to grant or deny the waiver application. Consultation with CDPH is accomplished by submitting a notice pursuant to CDPH instructions.

This overview is for informational purposes only. Refer to COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Learning Elementary Education Waiver Process for guidance on the waiver process.

The following list includes elementary waivers that have received consultation by CDPH.

Filterable Elementary Waiver Table

Search the table below by typing in the name of a county, school, or any other relevant key word.