School officials address closures of all K-12 schools across 47 districts in Kern County

School officials address closures of all K-12 schools across 47 districts in Kern County

ORDERED ALL SCHOOLS ACROSS THE47 DISTRICTS IN KERN COUNTY TOCLOSE IT'S CAMPUSES BYWEDNESDAY.SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THESECLOSURES ARE EXPECTED TOREMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL AT LEASTAPRIL 14TH.THE ANNOUCNMENT TO CLOSE ALLSCHOOLS COMESAFTER GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOMPOINTED OUT IN HIS CORONAVIRUSADDRESS ON SUNDAY-- THAT THEKERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTWAS THE ONLY DISTRICT OF IT'SSIZE TO REMAIN OPEN INCALIFORNIA...TODAY SCHOOL OFFICIALS EXPLAINEDWHY THEY WAITED SOLONG AND WHAT PARENTS, STAFF ANDSTUDENTS CAN EXPECTDURING THE CLOSURES."WE DELAYED TAKING THIS ACTIONAS LONGAS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE WE SERVE ADIFFERENT KIND OF POPULATION INKERNCOUNTY."THAT POPULATION CONSISTS OF190,000 STUDENTS ACROSS 47DISTRICTS IN KERN COUNTY -- 73PERCENT OF THOSE STUDENTSDEPEND ON SCHOOLS FOR FOOD ANDOVER 30 PERCENT LIVEIN POVERTY... THE PLAN TO CLOSESCHOOLS MEANS POSSIBLYJEAPORDIZING THEIR WELL- BEING,ACCORDING TOKERN COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OFSCHOOLS DR. MARY BARLOW."MANY OF THEM ARE RELYING ON OURSCHOOLS TO PROVIDE SERVICES SUCHAS MEALS, COUNCELING AND SPECIALEDUCATION SUPPORT."BARLOW SAID THEY HAVE ENFORCEDVARIOUS TASKFORCES TO DETERMINE THE BEST WAYTO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSECONCERNS DURING THE CLOSURESWHICHARE EXPECTED TO LAST FROMWEDNESDAY TO APRIL 14 -- DURINGTHAT TIME PERIOD -- DISTRICTSARE EXAMINING HOW THEY CANPROVIDE CHILDCARE FOR PARENTSWHO HAVE TO WORK --BUT FOR NOW FAMILIES NEED TOFIGURE IT OUT THEMSELVES."WE ARE CALLING UPON ALL PARENTSATTHIS TIME TO LOOK TO THEIRNEIGHBORS, TO LOOK TO THEIRFRIENDS AND WORKWITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY TO COMETOGETHER IN THIS TIME OF NEEDANDSUPPORT ONE ANOTHER."SOME PARENTS IN DOWNTOWN SAIDTHEY ARE MAKING LAST MINUTEARRAGENMENTS."MONDAY AND FRIDAY THEY'LL BEWITH MEAND THEN ON TUESDAY THROUGHTHURSDAY THEY'LL BE WITHGRANDMA.""I'M KIND OF WORRIED FOR OTHERPARENTSWHO HAVE TO TAKE OFF TIME FROMWORK."WHILE STUDENTS ARE OFF CAMPUS --SCHOOL OFFICIALS WANTTHEIR EDUCATION TO CONTINUE -- ASURVEY WAS SENT HOME WITHSTUDENTS MONDAY TO DETERMINE WHOHAS DEVICESWITH ACCESS TO THE INTERNET --MEANTIME STUDENTS WILLTAKE HOME EDUCATIONAL PACKETS TOCOVER THE FIRSTTWO WEEKS OF THE CLOSURE...SCHOOL OFFICIALS WILL ENSURETHAT EACH CAMPUSCAN PROVIDE MEALS TO STUDENTSUNDER THE AGE OF 18DURING THE CLOSURE -- DETAILS ONACCESS TO THATRESOURCE WILL BE SENT HOME TOPARENTS.TEACHERS AND VARIOUS STAFFMEMBERS WILL ALSO BEAFFECTED BY THE CLOSURE -- THEYWILL BE PAID FOR MONDAY ANDTUESDAY -- BUT AFTERWARDS THEIRSCHEDULES AND PAY IS UP TOTHE INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS..."IT'S GOING TO BE A DISTRICTDECISION..

ITREALLY WILL DEPEND UPON THEAGREEMENTS WE ARE ENTERING INTOWITHOUR EMPLOYEE BARGAINING UNITS."SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAID THEGUIDANCE COMING FROM THESTATE AND THE CDC IS RAPIDLYCHANGING -- AND THEY WILLCONTINUE TO UPDATE PARENTS WITHRESOURCES THEY CAN TAKEADVANTAGE OF DURING THIS TIME.FOR A FULL LIST OF SCHOOLCLOSURES IN THE COUNTY -- HEADTO OUR WEBSITE TURN TO 23 DOTCOM.FOR NOW WE'RE LIVE IN DOWNTOWN-- HERE'S 23ABC'STORI COOPER WITH HOW CORONAVIRUSPRECUATIONSHAVE BEEN AFFECTING LOCALBUSINESSES.MANY OF THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSESHERE IN BAKERSFIELD