On Sept. 8, the Julian Union High School District reopened to in-person class instruction for its students.

Since San Diego County has been removed from state's COVID-19 monitoring list, schools became eligible to reopen for in-person instruction as of September 1, 2020.

According to a letter from the district's superintendent, Dr. Hefflin, "we feel bringing students back to campus is the best choice for their educational needs. We have been busy reviewing, planning, and preparing for bringing our students back to in-person instruction in a clean and safe environment. We are asking our students to follow social distancing when and where possible, wash and/or sanitize their hands frequently, and we are encouraging our students to wear face coverings when social distancing is not possible."

Students will resume the regular block schedule which alternates between odd and even periods every other day.

To minimize exposure, the students will continue using the laptops they were assigned when the distance learning process began. Students that did not receive a laptop will be able to receive one when they return to the campus.

The district is asking parents to monitor their children's health and follow the San Diego County of Education's Fever/COVID-19 Symptom Decision Tree. The document details the process students and school staff should follow if symptoms of COVID-19 are in question.

The after-school program at the high school, ASSETs, will also resume on Sept. 8. The program will be a requirement for all students who will be transported by the district's afternoon buses.

The Julian Union School District is currently working on their own reopening plan, however, the plan specifics and a targeted reopening date have not been released.

In light of recent college campus closures and the fluctuating positive COVID-19 rates, school staff, parents and students will be on high alert for any possibility of the school being closed again. Neighboring school districts will be also watching the Julian Union High School District to see how they navigate the whole reopening process.

For more information regarding the reopening plan, schedule and the district's contact information, be sure to visit juhsd.org.