In response to the digital gap created by distance learning, Santa Ana Unified School District has launched “Learning Labs” for students. These Learning Labs allow for students from elementary to high school to attend school in person. There are Learning Labs in 31 schools with a combined total of 1,302 students. 

Although many students desire for more traditional styles of learning, space in the Labs remains limited. The program specifically targets students who require the most aid. Priority is given to McKinney Vento, foster youth, English language learners, and students with disabilities. 

Amid Orange County’s recent placement under California’s purple tier, the Labs follow appropriate social distancing protocols. Each school open has 42 students per site in cohorts of 14 or fewer students. All participants, including both staff, students, and parents, are required to wear a face covering. In addition to this, desks will be separated per state guidelines and will have plexiglass dividers, hand sanitizers will be available at every lab, and predetermined routes have been organized to make exiting and entering as safe and efficient as possible. 

“It’s important to note that the District can continue opening these Labs even under the state’s purple tier because they involve very small groups of students per campus,” writes Superintendent Jerry Almendarez in his weekly update to Santa Ana. 

The program strives to make the Learning Labs as similar to the traditional school day as possible, but there are a few changes. The Labs will follow the current school day schedule, and students are encouraged to attend every day. A snack and lunch are provided daily; dinner and breakfast are also available to be picked up at the end of the school.. 

Santa Ana’s Learning Labs are part of the effort made by the city to address current problems with digital learning, including decreasing rates of attendance. This is accompanied by the district’s controversial new policy of making missing assignments worth 55% instead of the customary 0%. 

“I don’t think that making missing assignments worth half credit is very fair. It’s like the district is artificially inflating everyone’s grade to just make them look better,” Isabella Do (11) says. “However, I do think that the Learning Labs is a great idea that could be very beneficial to many students.”