Economic Recovery Begins with Schools Reopening

by Maria S. Salinas

We were grateful to be joined by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Austin Beutner last week as he updated the Chamber on their plans for a safe return to on-campus learning in mid-April. Thanks to their diligent work, the reopening of schools will be a watershed moment which will kick-off a vast economic recovery in the Los Angeles region and beyond.

Since the COVID-19 crisis began, L. A. Unified has more than proven its ability to meet the needs of the community on a dramatic scale.  They provided 115 million meals, distributed free computers and internet access to 500,000 students, operated the largest school-based testing program in the nation, and launched a massive vaccination program operating at eight different locations.

When it came time to implement health and safety protocols for reopening from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, LAUSD went above and beyond. They are ensuring that everything possible is being done to enable a safe return to campus, from installing state-of-the-art air-filtration systems, to hiring extra custodial staff to ensure proper sanitation, to rearranging entire facilities to allow for at least six feet of space between individuals. 

The last year has been an unimaginable time in our lives, but with the increasing number of vaccinations and schools poised to safely reopen, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Los Angeles region’s business community is soon to follow suit in what is to be a thriving economic recovery.

To learn more, please take a look at LAUSD’s Return to Campus Family Guide and feel free to check-in with your local school principals.