Districts In Limbo Awaiting Governor's Guidance On Returning To School
ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — It looked like any other day at the Maidu Skatepark in Roseville Thursday, but that is hardly the case. For the kids, all is anything but certain. School is just weeks away, but back-to-school plans are up in the air in the middle of a pandemic.
"Oh yeah, I'm over it. I want to go back to school and socialize with people," said student Lily Pires.
That decision could end up coming from Gov. Gavin Newsom who is expected to issue new guidance for schools Friday.
"I really want to hear what the governor has to say, will he go for distance learning?" asked Roseville City School District Board Member Julie Constant in a public meeting over Zoom Thursday.
The Roseville City School District is the latest grappling over how to send students back to school. The board held off voting on the Superintendent Derk Garcia's recommendation for distance learning, many wanting to hear the governor's guidance first.
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"State guidelines would trump any local guidelines," Garcia said in the meeting.
State Senator Steve Glazer (D-Contra Costa) has been outspoken on how schools should reopen. Glazer says he wants the governor to mandate how schools reopen by region considering the different infection rates.
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"I really hope that the governor will engage with clear standards and mandates," said Glazer.
Glazer says as a father of two, he wouldn't send his daughters to school in the middle with the current COVID-19 infection rate, saying areas that have reopened too soon have paid a dire price.
"I can tell you there are places around the country and world that made that choice and they went from small infections to very large infections jeopardizing the public health of everyone," said Glazer.
While many look for the governor's guidance, it's clear the uncertainty is taking a toll.
"I hate to see these kids isolated. That's so harmful for our population to isolate each other. And kids, they just need to be around each other," said parent Isaac Ostrom.
The governor's update will be broadcast on CBS13 and online at CBS13.com.
