Students face long lines to enter campus as L.A. goes back to school

Hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles-area students returned to campus Monday for the first time in more than a year, after a morning marked by a mix of pandemic-driven anxiety and a sense of excitement — including some rough spots with long lines of students waiting to enter campus and parents reporting problems understanding and accessing the district’s health check app.

The scenes included the familiar — yellow buses hit the street on 1,500 routes, tearful hugs goodbye exchanged between the youngest and their parents, happy reunions with friends. And the morning also revealed new signs of the times: masked students, daily health checks, and backpacks carrying hand wipes and sanitizer.

“After 16 months we are ready to go,” said bus driver Victor Garcia from the Gardena bus yard moments before getting behind the wheel to pick up Santee High students downtown. Each bus driver is equipped with masks and windows were lowered a few inches for ventilation.

Sandra Espinoza snapped a photo of her son, Ozil, holding a small chalkboard that declared it was his first day of kindergarten at Montara Avenue Elementary School in South Gate.

“I’m nervous,” the Huntington Park resident said as she struggled to pull up Daily Pass, L.A. Unified’s daily health screening, while in line to check him in. She is worried about the surging Delta variant and reports that young people are becoming infected.

Still, her son was excited, she said. While in line, he tugged on her shirt, eager to get in.

The district’s Daily Pass app, through which parents attest to their children being healthy — issued an advisory to those in line wondering about delays. “We are experiencing high volumes and need you to wait here while we finished collecting information from others...You will be let in shortly.”

Through the Daily Pass system, students receive a scannable code to enter school. Alternatively, they could answer questions about their health from a screener at the entrance to campus.

By 8:30 a.m., some students in line at John Marshall High School had missed most of their first period of classes as they waited to show the required forms. The wait had burst the back-to-school bubble for some.

Matthew, 17, was excited for the first day of school. But the wait in line has slowly “killed my mood.” The senior pointed to the window where his first class was currently happening.

Isaac, 17, was excited to see his first period history teacher. But he’d missed most of the class and didn’t think he’d make it at all after waiting for about 30 minutes. Still, he remained optimistic on the first day of his senior year. Both students declined to give their last name.

“The sun’s beating down on me. But I’m feeling good,” he said.

Back at Montara Avenue Elementary, in South Gate, Crystal Polanco said she felt overwhelmed with emotions after dropping off her 7-year-old for the first day of second grade.

Normally, she would’ve been able to guide her daughter around for some of the morning, eat breakfast and make sure she got to the right classroom. But with COVID-19 protocols in place, she didn’t get that opportunity.

Instead, she struggled in a line to get access to Daily Pass. And once she was able to get her daughter checked in, she could only wave to her behind the school gates.

“I feel really bad because you just drop them off,” Polanco said. “It’s exciting, but it’s really rough.”

She also worries about her daughter following safety protocols. Polanco said she reminded her daughter: “Leave your mask on. Wash your hands.” But “kids are kids, they miss their friends,” and she worries that her daughter will forget.

Still, Polanco had confidence in the school. The South Gate resident grew up in the area and attended Montara as a child.

“I know they’re going to take good care of the kids,” she said. By 8:30 a.m., the lines outside Montara dissipated as many checked in their children.

Huge numbers of students will be attending class at their schools for the first time — ninth- and 10th-graders at high school, sixth- and seventh-graders at middle school — all lost a chunk of experiences during campus closures. Many parents kept their children out of kindergarten last year, adding another level of academic and social uncertainty.

Among the major hurdles in the nation’s second-largest school system is the district’s determination to test every student and employee for a coronavirus infection before allowing them back on campus.

The safety protocols at L.A. Unified are being touted as among the strictest in the nation, relying on layers of measures — such as masking, improved ventilation and increased hand-washing.

These measures also embody a degree of complexity, as they must be carried out across a system with about 465,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and more than 75,000 employees.

The parents of about 3% of students have indicated they will opt for an online alternative through an independent study program. Making that choice required filling out lengthy forms and leaving behind familiar classmates and teachers — at least for the time being.

Those returning can expect to find campuses cleaner than ever. After all, they were barely used for 17 months. There are also new sanitation protocols and more staff to carry them out — although not nearly as much staff as planned for. Parents will be watching how clean the schools remain.

Hundreds of classrooms are likely to open the year with substitute teachers as the district fell far short of hiring targets. As of Aug. 10, 479 classrooms were uncovered in a school system with about 1,000 campuses.

The district also fell far short of hiring targets for mental health and nursing services. It has the money. It could not find, screen and hire the people — a problem that appears to be common in other districts as well.

As teachers prepared their classrooms, they also had another obligation to address: a pending mandate for a COVID-19 vaccination. All employees must provide documentation that they are fully vaccinated by Oct. 15.

People also are concerned about what happens if there is a possible outbreak at a school. How many students will be sent home and for how long?

L.A. Unified officials refused to provide information about the results of the baseline testing. It isn’t clear how forthcoming schools will be — in L.A. Unified and elsewhere — about posting information about infections on campus. Coronavirus cases must be reported to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which will work with school officials to identify close contacts and notify them for follow-up testing and possible quarantines.

Despite all the unknowns and newness, teacher Scott Mandel is among the many expressing palpable excitement.

“We’re finally here. The first major step on the way to normal,” said Mandel in a Facebook post. He directs the Pacoima Singers at the Pacoima Middle School Film, Media and Performing Arts Magnet. “Yes, there’s a lot of trepidation; yes, there’s a lot of uncertainty. But the only thing we know is that we’re going to be back with our kids, in our classrooms, on the way to returning to normalcy. And that’s enough to celebrate. If even only a little.”