Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the San Diego Unified School District, the two largest districts in California, serving more than 750,000 students combined, announced that both will close, beginning Monday, March 16, in an effort to prevent the spread of covid-19.
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In a joint statement issued in a statement, Los Angeles Superintendent Austin Beutner and San Diego Superintendent Cindy Marten indicated that “California has entered a new critical phase in the fight to stop the spread of the covid-19 pandemic “
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“There is evidence that the virus is already present in the communities we serve, and our efforts should now be directed at preventing its spread,” they said. “We believe that closing the state’s two largest school districts will be an important contribution to this effort. For that reason, we plan to close, from Monday March 16“
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The return to classes will be until April 6, unless public health conditions require an extension, school authorities said, while stating that no student has been infected by the virus.
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“The public health crisis created by the coronavirus is not something that any of us reasonably expected to happen, and we are in unknown waters as we work to prevent the spread of the disease,” Beutner said during a press conference.
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“Now we are at a point where the balance has changed and the appropriate path is to close schools,” he added.
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The decision to close schools came after Alex Caputo-Pearl, President of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), the union representing LAUSD teachers, called for “the rapid, accelerated, and humane closure of LAUSD schools.”
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“Other countries have shown that it is proactive, not reactive; This approach slows down the spread of the virus, ensures that there is no overwhelming demand from healthcare providers, and dramatically reduces fatalities, “Caputo Pearl said in a statement.
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The union also launched a series of 10 lawsuits, including payment of 15 additional sick days for all Los Angeles County county workers, to align with the covid-19 quarantine period, plus a weekly disaster stipend for working parents to stay home with their children without losing their wages and creating a food supply network.
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“The state has a reserve of $ 20 billion and this is exactly the time to take advantage of that reserve to support students and families, ”said the union leader. “Here is an opportunity to build a social safety net through our 10 demands for good community support.”
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Other requests include removing financial barriers to covid-19 testing and treatment, including exclusion of all copays and deductibles from health insurance.
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Monica Garcia, former chair of the LAUSD School Board, told Univision News that the decision made is “important because focuses on trying to stay calm, and provide students with the resources so that they can continue learning at home, through workshops on educational television channels PBS Y KLCS“
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So far, the school authorities have not defined what will be the role of the 33,000 teachers, psychologists, counselors, drivers and nurses of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest in the nation, after that of New York.
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¨ “I understand that everyone will stay at home,” Juan Ramírez, UTLA spokesperson, told Univision Noticias. “It is better because of the uncertainty.”
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Among school closure plans, it was reported that the school district will open 40 family resource centers around Los Angeles to help with food and learning opportunities for children whose parents require additional help. These family centers will open from 6:00 am. at 6:00 p.m., starting March 18.
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