Carpinteria Unified School District is planning to open Carpinteria Middle School and Carpinteria High School March 29 (the Monday after spring break) under the prediction that the county will reach the red tier by mid-March.
“Secondary students as well as staff are anxiously awaiting their return at the end of this month,” Superintendent Diana Rigby told the News-Press Wednesday. “Although the hybrid model is more challenging at a secondary site, everyone needs to return as soon as permissible.”
Santa Barbara County Public Health officials announced Tuesday that the county’s case rate dropped to 13 daily cases per 100,000 people — low enough for schools to resume contact sports.
“We have welcomed the return of our student athletes at CHS, and it is so exciting to have students in person on campus. We really missed them,” Mrs. Rigby said.
Carpinteria Unified was the largest public school district in the county to reopen elementary schools under a waiver approved by the state in the fall. It opened its four elementary schools in a hybrid model Oct. 13 and has not detected any COVID-19 transmissions on campus, officials said.
Its elementary classes are split into two groups of 10-18 students who either meet Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday. All students are online Wednesday.
email: ahanshaw@newspress.com