The Glendale Unified Board of Education made a decision Tuesday to start the 2020-21 school year with all students participating in an online distance learning model. The district will offer on-campus childcare during the regular school day for elementary-age students, prioritizing students currently enrolled in state-subsidized childcare programs, foster/homeless youth, and children of essential workers. Students reporting to campus for childcare will be grouped into small, supervised technology learning pods to ensure proper physical distancing. Whether students report to campus or stay at home, they will all participate in the same online curriculum. The district will distribute Chromebooks and internet hotspots to all students who need them, and will continue to provide free meals for all children. The first day of school for the 2020-21 school year will be Aug. 19.

“The health and safety of our students, employees, families, and our broader community is and always will be the utmost important factor in all of our decisions,” said Glendale Unified Board President Dr. Armina Gharpetian. “We are committed to offering a robust online curriculum for our students this fall and we look forward to returning to on-campus classes as soon as it is safe to do so.”