LA and San Diego Schools to Hold Online-Only Classes in The Fall

Los Angeles Unified School District and San Diego Unified School District announced they will not reopen for in-person classes next month due to increasing COVID-19 cases.

“Those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available,” a joint statement from the two districts said. “California has neither. The skyrocketing infection rates of the past few weeks make it clear the pandemic is not under control.”

LA Unified and San Diego Unified school districts are the largest in California, and together serve about 825,000 students. The students will continue to learn remotely as they did during the end of last school year. LA begins the new school year Aug. 18 and San Diego begins on Aug. 31.

The announcement comes as California’s death toll from the coronavirus rose to more than 7,000 and averages more than 8,000 new cases a day. In addition, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced sweeping rollbacks on reopening plans by closing indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, and zoos and ordering bars to close completely.

In Los Angeles, 83% of about 18,000 teachers union members said schools should remain closed in the fall, according to a survey by United Teachers Los Angeles. The California Teachers Association sent a letter to Gov. Newsom expressing their concerns, stating “Simply said, California cannot reopen schools unless they are safe.”

More information about LA’s online instruction and plans for the upcoming school year will be finalized the first week of August. Both districts continue to plan for a return to in-person learning during the 2020-2021 school year, “as soon as public health conditions allow.”

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Auburn University Debuts $224M STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., recently opened its new $224-million STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex, the largest research construction project in the university’s history, according to university news. The facility measures more than 265,000 square feet and brings six departments from the College of Agriculture and College of Sciences and Mathematics together under one roof.

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.