Students around the world are already being affected by school closures thanks to COVID-19. These dire circumstances have called for dire measures, with many schools shutting down indefinitely for the safety of their students. Permanent closures, perhaps the most dramatic of actions that could be taken by school districts, have been debated since the beginning of the outbreak—and that same debate is coming home to California.
On Tuesday, California Superintendent of Public Education Tony Thurmond expressed that it was highly unlikely for public school campuses to reopen in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Due to the current safety concerns and needs for ongoing social distancing it currently appears that our students will not be able to return to school campuses before the end of the school year,” said Thurmond.
Though it’s wasn’t necessarily a definitive yes, it was a very strong one. California had mostly left it up to specific schools and districts to determine closures. With little official guidance, a lot of grey area exists, which is why snippets such as Thurmond’s can spark viral reactions. News outlets jumped on the quote, reporting that this was confirmation of year-long closures on the state level.
The following day, Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that schools in California wouldn’t be reopening, but that classes would remain in session.
#BREAKING California schools will stay closed through the remainder of school year, but will continue online classes, Newsom sayshttps://t.co/4DJWvrIHa0
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) April 1, 2020
California isn’t the first to implement permanent closures. Kansas, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia, New Mexico, and Alabama have already declared schools to be closed for the rest of the academic year. As California has been one of the most affected states in the country, it’s not too much of a surprise that this decision was made.
