The 45th annual Riverside County Spelling Bee is scheduled to return Thursday, the first time since 2019 the competition will be conducted in person.
The 2020 bee was canceled when the county Public Health Office declared a coronavirus public health emergency. The 2021 and 2022 bees were online due to ongoing precautionary measures implemented by the county Office of Education.
A field of 27 students through eighth grade is scheduled to compete at the Moreno Valley Conference & Recreation Center.
The top-three finishers customarily advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.