NOTE: As of January 14, 2021 the California Department of Public Health is no longer conducting an Elementary School Waiver process.  Please see the January 14 School Reopening Framework for updated guidance.

California schools have been closed for in-person instruction since mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. School closures to in-person instruction were part of a broader set of recommendations intended to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

In June 2020, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) developed a school reopening framework to support school communities as they decide when and how to implement in-person instruction for the 2020-21 school year. This framework offered schools in grades K-6, located within local health jurisdiction that were in the Purple Tier under the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, to apply for a waiver from the local health officer (LHO) to open an elementary school for in-person learning.

If, by January 14, 2021, a school: 1) previously received a waiver approval by their county's local health jurisdiction's LHO between August 11, 2021 and January 13, 2021; AND 2) has not re-opened for in-person instruction; AND 3) their county adjusted case rate (ACR) exceeds 25 per 100,000 per day, then the school must delay reopening until the county case rate drops below the threshold of ACR of 25 per 100,000 per day. This overview is for informational purposes only. Please see the Schools Guidance from January 14th for more details.

The following list includes elementary waivers that had received consultation by CDPH from August 11, 2020 – January 13, 2021.

Searchable List of Elementary Waivers

Search the table below by typing in the name of a county, school, or any other relevant key word.