Israel's Schools Are Coming Back After Passover - But Not Quite to Normal

Israel's schools are gearing up to reopen after Passover, but it won't be business as usual.

The Home Front Command and the Education Ministry are putting the finishing touches on a plan that would bring millions of students back to class, even in areas currently under orange alert (the second-highest readiness level). Here's what it's expected to look like.

For the youngest kids, day cares and private kindergartens in orange zones would be allowed to reopen, with groups of 15 to 30 children per protected space, supervised by an adult. In areas where rocket fire is heavier, everything stays inside the shelter. In calmer orange zones, kids can be near a shelter, as long as everyone can get inside in time if the sirens go off.

For schools, the plan kicks in Thursday. The cap is 30 students per adult, in or near a protected space. But here's the catch: most schools simply don't have enough shelters for everyone at once. So the ministry is expected to bring back something that'll feel familiar, the COVID capsule model. Small groups, rotating schedules, with younger grades coming in at least three times a week. High school juniors and seniors get priority because of their upcoming matriculation exams.

Officials are being upfront that this won't make everyone happy. Shelter space is still the main bottleneck keeping things from going back to normal across most of the country. The final plan is expected to be officially published within the next couple of days.