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While a majority of LA Unified’s traditional schools scheduled to reopen next Monday, Jan. 11, about 75 district charters are starting this week.

Some of the independent charter schools elected to truncate their winter break by one week, limiting the winter break to two weeks while opting for a longer spring break or an earlier end to the school year. In some cases, the schools voted to come back earlier, or the charter school program agreed to the calendar at the beginning of the year.

It’s another one of the complications of having 211 independent charter schools within the LAUSD system. LAUSD has the largest number of charter schools in the country, and although they are independent, they are regulated and approved by the local school district.

The charter organizations have the autonomy to schedule their school year as they wish but must have the same amount of instruction time, which is regulated by the state. And so, for example. all of the Camino Nuevo charter schools in the district started school today and all the Equitas Academy charter schools will head back to school tomorrow.

About 26 schools start the new year tomorrow, and a handful will begin school on other days later this week.

Most independent charter schools follow the same winter break schedule as the traditional schools and will resume classes next Monday, Jan. 11.

But, the 25 Alliance charter schools will not be going back to school until Jan. 13.

LAUSD will be deciding on a new school calendar for the district early this month. At the next school board meeting, on Jan. 12, results of the surveys and community meetings about the school calendar options will be presented to the board.