Which Orange County Elementary Schools Received COVID Waivers

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A handful of Orange County private schools were granted elementary school waivers to allow for in-person instruction, Thursday.

One of them, San Juan Capistrano, St. Margaret's Episcopal School, applied for their elementary school waiver on Aug. 6. In that waiver, the Head of School William Moseley says:

"Our Campus Opening Task Force, faculty, staff and community partners have worked diligently over the past four months to create (a) comprehensive plan putting student and adult health, safety and well-being at the forefront of our efforts," Moseley wrote. "We believe it meets and exceeds all state and local guidelines and are confident through a community-wide commitment to uphold all practices and policies, it will support a healthy and safe campus environment."

In order to return to campus, the school will involve an on-campus health screen, an expanded health center, and campus-wide COVID-19 virus tests for employees and students. A continuous learning plan will allow seamless transition from remote to in-class learning, based upon health considerations, they wrote in their plan.

According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, at least 10 schools, all elementary schools, are allowed to return to in-person instruction. More are expected to be added to that list.

"Our web team is working diligently to ensure the list of schools that applied and have been granted the waiver is posted on our website," a spokesperson for the OC Health Care Agency reported over Twitter. They expect the full report to be available on Friday.

• New Horizon, K-6, with 174 students in 18 classes.
• Ivy Crest Montessori, 1st - 6th, 49 students in 6 classes.
• St. Mary's School, K-6th, 407 students in 30 classes.
• St. John's Lutheran, K-6th, 511 students in 21 classes.
• Veritas Academy, TK-6th, 37 students in 5 classes.
• St. Margaret's Episcopal School, TK-6th, 527 students in 46 classes.
• Fairmont Schools, TK-6th, 816 students in 59 classes across 4 campuses.
• Calvary Christina School, K-6th, 142 students in 10 classes.
• Carden Hall, K-6th, 289 students, unknown class number.
• Montessori of Ladera Ranch & Fountain Valley, TK-2nd, 92 students, 7 classes, across 2 campuses.

Shortly before the announcement was made, another 14 private schools, as well as six elementary schools in Los Alamitos Unified, also received approval for in class waivers, the OC Register reports, including:

• Hebrew Academy
• Covenant Christian Academy
• Aliso Viejo Christian School
• VanDamme Academy
• Red Hill Lutheran School
• TVT Community Day School
• St. Paul’s Lutheran School
• Grace Lutheran School
• Monarch Bay Montessori Academy
• E3 Academy
• The Pegasus School
• Pathway School
• Grace Christian School

"We support these schools by offering testing for staff and students, and have stood up a full medical team in partnership with CHOC Physicians group," the Health Care Agency said. "Pediatricians are standing by to guide and inform."

According to OCHA, the majority of those schools who applied for the waiver have "large staff and parent support." They added, "There are parents who only want online education for their children, and we encourage that, especially for children who are at higher risk."

This is a developing report.