Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! South Pasadena Unified (SPUSD) is committed to the safety of our schools and the wellbeing of our community and follows Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) COVID-19 protocols. These protocols are subject to change at any time depending on public health conditions. Following is information for minimizing the spread of COVID-19 on our school campuses: 

Vaccination: COVID-19 vaccines are now available for anyone six months and older. The vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious illness from COVID-19. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and to schedule an appointment, visit VaccinateLACounty.com or call the LA County COVID-19 information link at 833-540-0473.

Testing: SPUSD will be sending COVID-19 test kits home with students and employees on the first day of school, August 11, 2022. Los Angeles County provided these kits at no charge. Unfortunately, SPUSD no longer receives the funding needed to purchase and provide test kits as in years past. Also, weekly drive-thru testing has been discontinued. Test kits and testing sites are readily available in the community. For more information about testing sites and how to obtain testing kits, please refer to the COVID-19 Testing Resources for Children page.  

Masks: LACDPH strongly recommends that people wear masks in indoor settings at schools. See Public Health’s COVID-19 Masks page for more information.

Reporting COVID-19 Cases: Individuals (students and employees) who test positive for COVID-19, must report the positive case through the SPUSD COVID-19 Reporting Form. The SPUSD Health Team will reach out to discuss you/your child’s timeline and how to return to school. Schools will send parents/guardians notifications of positive cases in the classrooms via email. Before returning to school, positive cases must fill out the SPUSD Return to School Reporting Form. 

Isolation for COVID-19 Cases and Instructions for Close Contacts: Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must follow Public Health’s COVID-19 Isolation Instructions. Individuals who have been exposed in a classroom must 1) monitor for symptoms 2) wear a mask around others when indoors, except while eating or drinking, for 10 days after the last exposure and 3) test within 3-5 days after the last exposure. Positive tests should be reported through the SPUSD COVID-19 Reporting Form.

School Health Clerks: For urgent healthcare matters or questions related to COVID-19, please contact your family’s doctor, urgent care, or local hospital. We have a team of outstanding health clerks who have day-to-day responsibilities outside of COVID-19. Thank you for respecting our employees’ time and limitations and allowing them to fulfill their daily responsibilities as school health clerks.

We appreciate all of your cooperation over the last four school years helping the SPUSD create a safe learning environment. If you have any questions or concerns regarding COVID-19, please contact the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at 833-540-0473 from 8 a.m-8:30 p.m. seven days a week or visit the LA County Department of Public Health website.