This Central Valley school expected to open with on-campus learning. A court showdown awaits?

Immanuel Schools in Reedley is set to ignore a state mandate and offer in-person learning when school begins Thursday, according to the Fresno County Department of Public Health.

And that could lead to a showdown between the private, Mennonite-faith-based K-12 school and the Department of Public Health — if not against the state, too — during this ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Should Immanuel offer in-person, on-campus classes, it would violate the state’s mandate that prohibits in-person instruction for schools in Fresno County, along with other counties on the state’s coronavirus watchlist, due to the continued spread of COVID-19.

Andy Souza, chief administrative officer with Immanuel Schools, did not return messages on Wednesday seeking comment.

In an email response to questions about Immanuel, a Department of Public Health spokesperson said the county is aware that Immanuel is planning to start in-person school Thursday and reiterated that the county is not granting waiver requests for any schools to allow in-person learning.

And if in-person learning is offered at a school, the Department of Public Health said it would take action.

“The County Health Officer will order the school closed,” Sonia Brar, a Public Health Communication member, wrote in an email to The Bee. “If the school violates that order, the County will take action in Superior Court to obtain a court order to close.

“The County will also petition the State to take action to close the school. Additionally, the school could be subjected to prosecution for unfair business practices.”

Fresno County has seen a continued climb in the number of COVID-19 cases with a total of 18,344 positive tests, along with 205 coronavirus-related deaths, reported since the start of the pandemic, according to state Department of Public Health numbers.

Immanuel Schools, which has a enrollment of approximately 600 students and teaches kindergarten through 12th grade on one campus, has gone against public health guidelines before.

Back in June, Immanuel held in-person high school graduation that attracted roughly 800 to 1,000 people despite Fresno County Department of Public Health guidelines to restrict public gatherings and big groups due to the potential spread of COVID-19.

It is unclear if anyone contracted the coronavirus while attending the graduation.

This story was originally published August 12, 2020 at 7:36 PM.