PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Summer break from school looks a little different this year with masks on and staying physically distanced in the time of COVID-19.
But getting outside feels good for Playa Vista mom Ivette Osorio, who has had to adjust with her kids at home since March.
"It was a shift in our family," said Osorio.
Governor Newsom announced on July 17 that distance learning would continue at the start of the school year, which means that Osorio and her husband, who both work from home, will have their two boys and daughter continuing to receive instruction from home for the foreseeable future.
"We're on board with the governor and our mayor in terms of having families, our specific family stay at home until we start seeing a decrease in numbers. Were we disappointed? For sure, all of us want our kids to be able to go back to even a new sense of normal," said Osorio.
But it's no surprise that the latest in the education saga is a return to distance learning.
L.A. County is on Governor Newom's watch list, with nearly half of the state's COVID-19 cases.
The recent surge has the L.A. County Department of Public Health saying that COVID-19 is on track to become the second leading cause of death in the county. In an effort of compromise, Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer made an announcement about the reopening of schools on Thursday.
"The Governor has allowed for some local health officers to consider granting waivers to school districts and private schools that allow for the reopening of in-classroom instruction for students in T-K through grade 6," said Ferrer.
But that's not going to be good enough for Palos Verdes dad Matthew Brach, whose kids are in middle and high school. He wants his children back to in-person learning.
He also wants to see his school district take matters into its own hands.
"Nobody wants to send our teachers or are kids back when it's not safe. But as a community if we feel that we've been able to satisfy the requirements of the County Department of Public Health's orders that should be our decision as a district and as a community to make," said Brach.
Brach is part of a group that has filed a lawsuit against Governor Newsom over his school-closure mandate. He wants the governor to look at certain districts on a case-by-case bases and he's hopeful changes will be made to ensure that.
"Everybody learns different, and we need to make sure that we are reaching out and giving every student an equal chance for an education," said Brach.
Despite the differing opinions amongst parents, Osorio would not feel comfortable with her elementary school children attending in-person classes at this moment in time- should their schools receive a waiver.
"It's a transition but for us our priority is for our family's health," said Osorio.
As education hangs in the balance, parents will weigh their options on what is best for them and their children.