The West Contra Costa Unified School District will close schools for three weeks beginning Monday in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The district announced Thursday that although there are no confirmed cases of students or staff who have tested positive at its schools, several may have had contact with potential positive cases. Students will be dismissed at noon Friday while staff will work the whole day.
San Francisco Unified School District is among other districts around the country that decided Thursday to close schools due to the virus, which is also known as COVID-19.
“This was not an easy decision, but the uncertainty surrounding the outbreak has increased the confusion and anxiety in our community,” WCCUSD Superintendent Matthew Duffy said in a news release. “It is my hope that this closure will help arrest the spread of the disease.”
The district is moving its spring break up from the week of April
6 to March 30, so classes are set to resume on April 6 pending new
information about the pandemic.
District officials said for the first two weeks of the closure, students in second through 12th grades will have laptops and tablets to continue instruction and guidance by teachers via online tools, while first grade and younger will receive packets to take home.
The district is also offering meals to students at several schools during the closure. The meals can be picked up at Pinole Valley, De Anza, Richmond and Kennedy high schools, Helms and DeJean middle schools, and Nystrom, Riverside and Montalvin elementary schools between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
So why do they have school open Friday??
WCCSD has the logistics figured out, why can’t MDUSD. Do we need to wait til a student, parent, or teacher tests positive? Let’s be proactive!
They are meeting today at 2pm. I’m sure a similar decision will be made.
@jazzman their plan is worse than waiting until someone gets sick to close schools. MDUSD plan is to wait until someone gets sick before they even make a plan to address this issue. See the following statement from their website:
“Scenario III: Measures to be taken if one student, teacher or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 and exposed others at the school.
If one student, teacher or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 and exposed others at the school, CDPH recommends that school administrators implement the following steps:
• In consultation with the local public health department, the appropriate school official MAY CONSIDER if school closure is warranted and length of time based on the risk level within the specific community as determined by the local public health officer.