(AP) California classrooms could reopen with modifications as soon as late July, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday, bringing a new wave of anxiety for parents, teachers and students.
Newsom laid out the possible change, the earliest proposed start date yet, as part of a reopening plan that would allow retailers and manufacturers to restart likely within weeks. Child care and summer schools along with parks, trails and other outdoor spaces may also be allowed to reopen.
No decisions have been made about an early school start, Newsom said, noting that the “learning loss is very real.” Almost all schools are closed under California’s statewide stay-at-home order, and educators and students have been struggling to adapt to at-home learning.
The state also doesn’t have the power to order districts to reopen; changes will need to be worked out between local districts and teachers unions. Tuesday’s announcement appeared to catch California’s top schools official by surprise, who said in a statement that “we all heard for the first time today the idea of schools reopening as early as July or August.”
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said “some major questions” still need to be answered. “First and foremost: Can this be done in a way that protects the health and safety of our students, teachers, and school staff?
At the same time California educators grapple with how to reopen, the state’s more than 1,000 school districts are expected to face budget cuts as tax revenue tumbles due to job losses and business closures.
State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond told lawmakers Tuesday that schools need $100 million to purchase 400,000 computers and 290,000 internet hotspots to help “close the divide and maintain access for students.” She said most of California’s 6.2 million students do have access to technology.
A lot of questions remain about the timeline and structure for schools that reopen, decisions that will be made district-by-district. Many districts already start the school year in August.
Whatever the timeline, school will likely look radically different, officials say.
Among the scenarios Newsom has previously raised: staggered start times to limit the number of students in a school at one time; changes to recess, lunch and other group gatherings; and a hybrid of classroom and online learning.
