The Rancho Santa Fe School District will start the school year with in-person instruction of students in kindergarten through Grade 6 with a waiver approved Wednesday by county health officials. It is the first public school district in San Diego County to have a waiver granted. There are 18 private schools that have received the OK since yesterday. A total of 95 schools, both public and private, have applied.

The waiver allows 420 elementary school students in the district to return to class under state COVID-19 safety standards when the academic year beings Monday in Rancho Santa Fe. Protocols the district has in place include keeping students in small cohorts that will remain together for all classes, lunch and recess throughout the school day; mandatory face coverings for all staff and for students in Grade 3 and up; and daily health screens and visual wellness checks.

It’s like most of the district’s K-6 students will return. The district surveyed families and found the majority were in favor of reopening school for in-person instruction at the beginning of the 2020 – 2021 school year, with 78% of parents wanting an in-person instruction option and 6% stating they had no preference.

When asked if parents would send their children to school if the district reopened for in-person instruction, 71% of parents said they would send their children and 11% were undecided.

K-6 students whose families choose distance learning will also start the school next week, along with the district’s students in Grades 7 and 8.

Rancho Santa Fe is one of three public school districts so far to ask for the waiver. The Del Mar Union and Cajon Valley Union school districts are waiting to hear if their waiver applications have been approved.

Schools also granted waivers to reopen are:

  • Calvary Christian Academy
  • Christ Lutheran School
  • Christian Unified School District East
  • Christian Unified School District South
  • Christian Unified School District West
  • City Tree Christian School
  • Francis Parker School
  • Gillispie School
  • La Jolla Country Day School
  • Ocean View Christian Academy
  • Ramona Lutheran Christian School
  • Saint Patrick School
  • Santa Fe Christian School
  • Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School
  • The Bishop’s School
  • The Cambridge School
  • The Community School of San Diego
  • The Rock Academy