County Office of Education Says There’s No Need to Shut Schools at the Moment, But That It’s Closely Monitoring the Situation
Press release from the Humboldt County Office of Education:
On March 11, over 45 District
Superintendents, educators, health care professionals, and staff met
at the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) Sequoia Conference
Center with Public Health Director, Michele Stephens, and Public
Health Officer, Dr. Teresa Frankovich, to discuss Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19) as related to the education of our children and the
health and safety of our community.
Topics
covered ranged from school preparedness, guidance on transmission and
severity of COVID-19 in Humboldt County and in our region, measures
underway to prevent the spread of COVID-19, scenario planning and
procedures to follow given various levels of potential confirmed
cases of COVID-19, and discussing tools and strategies used for
continuous learning and support of students if there were school
closures.
A
critical outcome for this convening was to develop and create
processes for consistent and informed decision-making with the safety
of students remaining top priority. Delivery of service for students,
families, employees, and community was also discussed.
School
activities and events is an area of particular focus, with guidance
from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) evolving and
changing on a regular basis. Currently, some school related events
and activities have been canceled due to state guidelines and with
consideration to the size, number of anticipated attendees, and
physical location. HCOE and related districts are notifying
stakeholders and the community as these decisions are made.
At
this point in time, there is no evidence of community transmission of
COVID-19 in Humboldt County. There has been no need for closure or
quarantine of schools in Humboldt County, nonetheless we are
preparing as if this may take place. A
planning committee was formed to share best practices, make
recommendations, and to research topics to help inform school
district decisions.
There
are multiple sources of public information available to schools,
community, parents, and educators. HCOE will provide regular and
timely updates and has created informational categories on our
COVID-19 webpage:
School
District Updates and Information
CDPH/Public
Health/Official Notices and Bulletins
Parent
and Student Resource and Guidance
Digital
Learning and Related Teaching Strategies
Our
collective and essential focus is on student health and safety,
consistent response to impact of COVID-19, delivery of educational
services, and maintaining engaging learning experiences for all
students. Our schools serve as a critical source of support and
service for all students and families. We are collectively working to
maintain that consistency and support during this time.