So much for early May restart. Coronavirus shuts Stanislaus schools through spring
Public schools in Stanislaus County will be closed through spring in response to the coronavirus, officials announced Wednesday.
The decision means several more weeks of distance learning for families that had hoped for a May 4 return, based on an earlier, tentative announcement.
The new plan emerged after local administrators heard concerns about the continued COVID-19 risk from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Tony Thurmond, the state superintendent of instruction.
“We want students and parents to understand that the 2019-20 school year is not over; it has just transitioned from classroom instruction to distance learning,” said Scott Kuykendall, the county superintendent of schools, in a news release.
Two weeks into closures
All 25 of the county’s districts closed their campuses March 19 as part of the effort to reduce the human contact that can spread the virus. At the time, they set tentative reopening dates that ranged from April 6 to 20.
They announced March 26 that the schools could reopen May 4 if conditions allowed. Wednesday’s announcement ended that idea.
The distance learning has included online instruction and printed packets to keep students progressing during the pandemic.
The release said each district will contact families with information on the upcoming distance learning. They also will tell them about graduation, grades and transcripts, scholarships and summer school.
Other counties, diocese
As of Wednesday, most school districts in San Joaquin County still planned to reopen April 20. The Manteca Unified School District had a May 18 target. It’s April 6, next Monday, for the New Hope and New Jerusalem districts.
Thursday morning, San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas announced a recommendation for schools to pursue a distance-learning model through the end of the school year.
“Even though school facilities are closed for the remainder of the school year, the school year is not over, and the learning does not stop,” Mousalimas said in a news release. “Our local schools are equipped to take on this challenge.”
The Merced Union High School District announced Wednesday that its campuses would stay closed through spring. Other districts in Merced County still project April 20 reopenings, “but that decision will depend on the circumstances at the time,” said a post on the county Office of Education website.
Tuolumne County school districts still plan on a May 4 reopening, but a closure through spring “is becoming more likely and a very real scenario,” county Superintendent Cathy Parker said in an update Wednesday.
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Stockton still aim for an April 20 reopening, said an update Friday from Bishop Myron Cotta. The diocese covers San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Alpine and Mono counties.
“Let us pray that soon we will be able to hear the chatter of children in our hallways and in our corridors,” Cotta wrote.
Patterson’s message
The Patterson Unified School District acknowledged that the closure will be especially hard on high school seniors who had hoped for a normal graduation.
“But let’s also not forget that there are families grieving loved ones who can’t hold a proper funeral right now,” a Facebook post said. “There are folks having to cancel their wedding plans. There are families struggling to make ends meet because one or more breadwinners lost their job due to the economic impact of COVID-19 crisis.”
Kuykendall took part in a live Q&A on the StanEmergency Facebook page Wednesday night. He noted that people with educational experience have asked if they can volunteer to help families with distance learning.
Yes, they can, at Love Our Schools. More information is at www.loveourschools.com.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 3:53 PM.
