Many Northern California counties can open schools ‘with modifications.’ It won’t happen soon
A dozen Northern California counties may be opening up their economies ahead of much of the state. But officials in those regions are saying their schools won’t reopen before the fall.
El Dorado and Butte counties, which both have low coronavirus rates, received approval on Tuesday to reopen some businesses. Placer, Yuba, Sutter, Nevada and a handful of other counties have also been given approval. Restaurants, stores and offices can reopen with a long list of guidelines and modifications.
In the list of permitted changes for counties, the California Department of Public Health listed “schools with modifications,” but most counties stated in their “attestation” filings that they will not physically reopen schools until the fall.
“We do not anticipate moving forward soon with resumption of in-person school,” read the letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom from El Dorado County officials. “Although subject to change, the El Dorado County Office of Education, at this time, plans to continue distance learning through the summer for all public schools in the County and to focus its efforts on planning for safely reopening schools next fall.”
The 15 school districts in El Dorado County, along with County Superintendent of Schools Ed Manansala and County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams, decided on April 1 to extend school closures through the end of the school year.
“School officials are currently in the planning stages for reopening schools in the fall, and decisions will be made after the careful examination of potential scenarios that will ensure the safety and health of all students, staff and families and follow social distancing guidelines,” read a statement from Manansala.
Butte County is not planning to reopen schools in Stage 2 of the state reopening process, and education officials will determine when the time is right to move ahead.
Placer County wrote in its letter to the state that “schools are not currently planned for reopening” during the current stage of reopenings.
Nevada County also wrote schools are “not currently planned for opening” in the current stage and that “reopening measures are in development with education representatives.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said in a virtual media check-in on Wednesday that school districts will make their own decisions, with state guidance, on when and how to reopen their schools for the state’s 6.2 million children.
Those guidelines and recommendations will be provided in coming weeks, Thurmond said.
Some schools may choose to reopen early, as they are on year-round calendars, “if that can be accommodated safely from a healthcare standpoint,” Thurmond said. Other school districts may postpone their first day of school to allow teachers to better prepare for the school year.
Summer school is not mandated for any districts, and will be scheduled by individual districts.
Thurmond acknowledged suggestions that Gov. Gavin Newsom made in recent weeks, stating schools could have morning and afternoon shifts, and districts could implement a hybrid model where some students return to classrooms and others continue distance learning. Thurmond also suggested, that in order to prioritize safety, some districts may have their students and teachers wear masks.
“This is probably the toughest thing that many of us will deal with in our lifetime,” Thurmond said. “Californians are meeting that challenge.”
In mid-April, Newsom said schools throughout California will look different in the fall — they may have staggered schedules to accommodate fewer children at one time, and reduce recess and physical education for students. Many parents and teachers reacted sharply when, weeks later, Newsom said schools may reopen in July to help students who faced “learning loss” when schools closed due to the pandemic.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Many Northern California counties can open schools ‘with modifications.’ It won’t happen soon."