Under New Rules, LA Catholic Schools No Longer Able to Resume In-Person Classes

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Catholic schools in Los Angeles county must now resume the fall year using distance learning, delaying previous plans to reopen their doors for in-person classes.

The Department of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles made this announcement on July 18, a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out new statewide rules for resuming in-person teaching.

Under these new requirements, private and public schools alike will not be allowed to reopen their campuses if they are located in counties that remain on the state’s monitoring list.

Currently, more than 30 counties in California remain on the monitoring list as COVID-19 cases have surged across the state.

This includes the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara where 265 Catholic schools are located.

“Though our return to our beloved campuses will be delayed for now, we will return,” said Paul M. Escala, superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese, in a July 17 letter to families and educators.

“Until then, our schools will open at a distance and our community will once again rise to the occasion,” Escala said.

Schools will not be able to reopen until their county has been off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days, according to the state guidelines.

“Learning is non-negotiable,” Newsom said in a July 17 statement. “The virus will be with us for a…