After today, California schools will close until April 6.
Superintendent Dwight Sanders said the district will revisit the decision if needed, whether it be to commence school activities again starting after April 6 or to extend the time schools will remain closed.
"We will evaluate what the condition of our community is as far as the outbreak of coronavirus and if it's something that will prevent us from going back to school, we won't," Sanders said.
Sanders said if California schools can't provide a safe learning environment for students and staff, they won't it's important to avoid risking the spread of COVID-19 among the student population and beyond.
Students were scheduled to spend next week out of school for spring break anyway, Sanders said, from March 23-27. They'll be sent home with lessons to fill the gap from March 30-April 6, and Sanders said similar to the school closing decision, lesson options will be revisited again if schools remain closed for a longer window. For now, elementary students will bring home approximately two weeks of instruction and middle and high school students will learn via their assigned Chromebooks.
All before and after school events are cancelled - athletics and other Missouri State High School Activities Association-sanctioned events were already cancelled yesterday. However, Sanders said the district will continue to provide students with breakfast and lunch each day, starting this Thursday and Friday and continuing through the next two weeks. Sanders informed parents in a letter sent yesterday they'd be able to sign up for meal pick up during this window.
Sanders said, in the meantime, all non-certified staff will receive pay for this Thursday and Friday and the week of missed school days following spring break. Teachers will also be paid for this time off.