Bay Area School Campuses to Stay Closed for
Remainder of School Year
Instruction will be delivered to students through distance learning
San Rafael, CA – Marin County has aligned with six Bay Area county health officers and county superintendents of schools to make a unified, regional decision to extend school closures through the end of the school year. All schools will continue to provide instruction through distance learning.
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco Counties agreed to this decision for the health and safety of our communities at large. This decision follows statement by Governor Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond suggesting that California’s students would not likely be able to return to campus for in-person learning for the remainder of this school year.
In addition to providing student instruction through distance learning, school districts will continue to distribute school meals and provide childcare for healthcare workers and essential workers as determined by local needs.
“It is important to remember that our students’ learning and our teachers’ instruction is ongoing,” continued Burke. “School is open though campuses may remain physically closed. We value every day of instruction, whether onsite or at home, and our schools pledge to do all we can to support our students, families, staff and community during this challenging time.”
This decision builds on the regional coordination the six Bay Area jurisdictions took in issuing the health officer order for all residents to shelter in place in to slow the spread of COVID-19 to the maximum extent.
“This is obviously not a decision that is made lightly, and we recognize the stress and challenge it places on families,” said Dr. Lisa Santora, Marin County’s Deputy Public Health Officer. “It is, however, a decision that puts the priority on the health and safety of families and the community in Marin and the Bay Area.”
In the coming days and weeks, districts will provide families with information regarding how grades, graduation, transcripts, scholarships, school, and how continued distance learning instruction will be handled. Guidance is being provided by the California Department of Education and the leaders of Marin’s school districts are working together to provide a unified, caring and informed approach as we deal with these matters.
“Our schools understand the impact of this order and the additional responsibilities it places on families in our community,” said Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools. “It will take patience and understanding by all of us as schools transition into a new way of teaching and learning to meet the health and safety impacts of COVID-19. Working together we can and will meet this challenge.”
The Marin Public Health has guidance and resources related to COVID-19 available at: MarinHHS.org/Coronavirus. In addition, individuals can contact Marin HHS with non-medical COVID-19 questions by calling a dedicatedinformation call center at (415) 473-7191 or by email.
Update as of March 25, 2020
Dear RVSD Community,
In coordiantion with the Marin County Office of Education (MCOE) and Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the closure of schools in Marin County is now extended until May 2, 2020. Below is the information we received in a press release:
"Marin schools are extending their suspension of in-person classroom learning to May 1, officials announced Wednesday. “To maintain a consistent and coordinated response regionally, public health officials and school leaders have determined that extending the suspension of classroom learning is vital to the safety and well-being of our students and community,” said Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools. “This unified decision is a reflection of the importance of our mitigation efforts and to help our families plan for the longer term.” Burke said the county’s decision was aligned with other Bay Area county health officers and county superintendents in order to “make a unified, regional decision” and slow the spread of the coronavirus “to the maximum extent.” “The safety and wellness of students, school personnel and the community are the highest priorities of all schools and districts” in these counties, Burke added. The other counties joining in the announcement are: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco. Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County public health officer, concurred with the decision to extend the schools closure."
We are all very disappointed that in-person instruction will not be taking place in our schools for the next several weeks. We miss your children very much and we know they also miss their friends, our teachers, our staff, special activities/events and our typical daily school routine. But we are in the midst of a global pandemic that is unlike anything our world has seen in over a hundred years. Everyone's health and safety is what's most important now and in the weeks ahead.
Thank you for all you are doing and the many sacrifices you are making, to keep your families (and all of us) well. This situation will not last forever and I am confident that when it is over, we will quickly return to the rhythms and routines of our normal llives.
Stay well,
Rick
Rick E. Bagley, Ed.D., Superintendent