How should Fresno Unified fill its school board vacancy? It’s up for debate this week
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Hello education readers,
While parents are buying fresh pencils and notebooks for back-to-school shopping, the Fresno County Health Department highly recommends including masks in your shopping cart.
Health officials have reported an increase in cases and emergency room visits among school-age children and youths with the spread of the Delta variant. The Delta variant has been shown to spread faster than other COVID-19 variants and is one of the reasons why health professionals are concerned.
“COVID back in January 2021 wasn’t really impacting the population 18 and under,” Community Health Division Manager Joe Prado said.
During May and June, the spike in cases for the 18 and under population has grown “upwards to almost 20%,” Prado said.
“This is concerning because the under 18 population is not all eligible to be vaccinated. Their only protection is the people around them,” Prado said.
Check out the most recent report by the Fresno County Health Department.
Special Fresno Unified Board meeting to fill board member vacancy
FUSD board members will hold a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss how they will fill the recent vacancy in District 5 due to the passing of longtime trustee Carol Mills. The board could appoint Mill’s replacement or opt to hold a special election to let voters decide.
The board meeting will be held at the Education Center second floor board room at 5 p.m. The meeting will also be telecast for those who can’t attend in person.
In July, Carol Mills died after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. She served for 17 years and worked as a lead appellate court attorney with the Fifth District Court of Appeal. She was re-elected in 2020.
State Sen. Andreas Borgeas praised Mills’ work and dedication.
“Carol’s dedication to our community and tireless advocacy for our FUSD students was admirable, and she will be remembered for her lasting contributions to our community,” he said.
In her autobiography, Mills wrote that she was raised by hardworking “blue-collar” parents who never had the opportunity to attend college.
“I was the first in my family to graduate from college,” she said. “I overcame a speech impediment and pursued a law degree and a career as an attorney.”
Mask Waivers
Last week, the Clovis Unified school board voted to give parents the option to exempt their children from wearing masks when students return to school later this month, the Ed Lab’s Ashleigh Panoo reported.
Parents can request the exemption for medical or mental health reasons or if their child is hearing impaired. Clovis parents won’t need a doctor’s note or other verification to obtain exemptions, opening up the possibility that some parents might lie to send their kids to class without a mask. Trustees acknowledged the possibility and said they hope it doesn’t come to that.
At Fresno Unified, those wishing to get a mask exemption will have to have a note from a doctor.
Mask exemptions for students are permitted under certain medical circumstances.
The California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued detailed guidance on safely getting students back in classrooms but have left the question of enforcement up to individual school districts.
All K-12 students and adults are required to wear face coverings while indoors according to state guidelines. Mask coverings during recess and outdoor activities are optional.
Fresno State will require COVID-19 vaccines
Ashleigh also reported on the most recent rule introduced by the California State system. This fall, all students and employees will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The announcement comes a day after California’s new mandate for coronavirus vaccines, masks, and testing that applies to state employees and health workers.
Justin Garza High Ribbon Ceremony
Central Unified’s newest school, Justin Garza High, had its unveiling on Saturday. The school was named after beloved football coach Justin Garza, who passed away in 2017 after a battle with cancer. You can see the full ribbon cutting here.
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