Parents: Rapid test your kids before sending them back to school, LAUSD says

Kiddos in the Los Angeles Unified School District on Monday head back to school after some time off during spring break. 

At some schools like Villas Elementary, you can actually make out some of the smiles because masks are optional. 

But parents may be a little cautious after a big jump in cases at schools around the country was reported.

All students at Villas Elementary must test negative for COVID-19 before returning to campus.

Within the LAUSD, there are over 1,000 campuses. At-home COVID rapid test kits were provided and distributed to all students ahead of the spring break in an effort to encourage parents to test their kiddos before returning to school, officials said.

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At one of LAUSD's campuses in Mid City this month, 60 students and three staff members tested positive for COVID. They're hoping to avoid that and are urging parents to be safer by abiding by district testing protocol. 

District officials are also having to decide whether to postpone its vaccine mandate, which was able to go into effect this fall to align with the state. 

Meanwhile, the state's mandate for schoolchildren vaccinations has since been delayed until July.

All families are urged to keep their guards up and be safe.

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