CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Under a plan the school board unanimously approved Monday, Sweetwater Union High School District will be one of the first in the region to start its school year next week.

The year will begin August 3 with full-time distance learning. The plan was approved without any major changes from what had been discussed at virtual workshops held by the district over the last few months.

Attendance will still be monitored online through student participation and engagement.

As it was in the the 2019-2020 school year, the graduating class will not be required to fulfill 30 hours of community service due to the risk of infection.

The district has created new online tools providing resources for teachers, counselors, parents, and for social, emotional needs.

There are a few important dates announced by the district where they will examine the current health orders and infection rates to determine if students can slowly return to campus. Those dates include: September 21, November 30 and March 1.

When and if students return to the classrooms it is proposed to happen in phases of 10, 20 or 50%.

The district has a plan to make sure every student has the ability to learn from home by next week with device pickup events planned starting Wednesday through Friday.