Santa Barbara schools final preparations for the start of the third COVID-19 school year

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Santa Barbara area schools are preparing to open the 2021-2022 school year.

Students are either starting this week or the next.

This school year will be the third year of school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2019-2020 school year ended abruptly and continued virtually.

Most of the 2020-2021 school year was virtual with in-person restriction. The 2021-2022 school year will start with similar in-person restrictions.

California is requiring all school employees in the state to be fully vaccinated or test weekly. Santa Barbara Unified School District is requiring those 12 and up to be fully-vaccinate against COVID-19. Those who are not will have to test weekly.

The district will require masks on campus for everyone vaccinated or not. Students who are not vaccinated, due to eligibility or not, and their parents don’t wish for them to wish a mask, will have to learn remotely from home.

Santa Barbara Unified School District returns to in-person learning Tuesday. Goleta Union School District starts Wednesday. And Carpinteria Unified School District begins next week.

For more information about safety protocols, visit Santa Barbara County’s or California’s health orders.