Social Distancing Could Continue in Schools Next Year

When schools reopen students could be forced to continue social distancing, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

“We are organizing a task force of LACOE and District representatives focused on school reopening with social distancing in mind.” said Debra Duardo, Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools. “Our aim is to quickly develop a report and framework of suggested options for districts to consider.”

No timeline was given on that report.

Social distancing at schools could mean students split the school day into morning and afternoon shifts or staggering lunch, gym, and recess to limit the number of students gathered together.

According to Scott Phelps, vice president of the Pasadena Unified School District School Board, talks about reopening have begun at school district headquarters.

“Yes the leadership team is discussing ways to do it.” Phelps said. “For example, staggering the student schedules so that the number of students on campus is halved would require more staffing or additional costs to extend the teacher workday, so hence, the lobbying of the state for funding for that. That’s just one idea.”

School districts are lobbying the State of California for relief, which could include flexibility to the three percent required contribution to the routine restricted maintenance account, which requires districts to put aside money for the exclusive purpose of providing funds for ongoing and major maintenance of school buildings.

Districts are also asking that pension increases at current rates for two years.

“It is now time to look ahead to the reopening of schools in the fall, and I want you to know LACOE will continue to be there for our education community.” Duardo said.

The statement comes days after Gov. Gavin Newsom said that conversations are underway about how schools could reopen in a “physically constrained” way after this school year.

Newsom said, “We need to get our kids back to school, I need to get my kids back to school”. But that the state would be “very, very vigilant”,  in how they do so, which would include deep cleaning of school facilities and classrooms.

The City of Pasadena has  been closed since March 16th, due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Schools were originally scheduled to reopen on April 6th. On April 1st, the district announced that schools would not be open for the rest of the school year.

“What physically do those schools look like? Can you stagger the times that our students come in so you can appropriate yourself differently within the existing physical environment by reducing physical contact?” Newsom said.

So far, it has not been announced when students will return to school.

“Given the task forces being formed by LACOE,” Phelps said, “I am hopeful that more ideas come forth from the minds of district leaders around the county.”