Madera Unified transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and first-grade students will be the first to return to campuses for in-person instruction according to the plan announced Tuesday by the district.

The youngsters will be in classrooms starting the week of March 22 and will be joined by students in grades 2 and 3 on March 25.

Spring break will close Madera Unified schools from March 29 through April 5. Elementary students in grades 4 through 6 will return for in-person instruction starting the week of April 6.

The district developed its phased-in reopening plan and schedules after surveying parents last month to determine whether they want their children to continue with distance learning or have in-person instruction. Students who return to school will be on campus about three hours a day, the district said.

Parents will be provided information on each school’s 2020-21 Return to School Safety Plan with protocols designed to protect students and staff from coronavirus infection, pick up and drop off locations, and daily schedule for their children.

Daily schedules for distance learning and in-person learning will be determined by school sites after evaluating the parents’ choices for their children’s instruction and how many students can be accommodated in classrooms while remaining 6 feet apart, the district said.