All Schools Ordered Closed Through June 19 In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — As the number or coronavirus cases continues to climb in Riverside County due to increased testing — 429 cases as of Wednesday afternoon — many local school districts have transitioned, or are in the process of transitioning, to a distance learning model that will definitely remain in place for the rest of the academic school year.

On Thursday, Riverside Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser announced he has extended his school closure order through June 19. He had previously ordered all schools shuttered through April 30.

The new June 19 period applies to all public and private schools, colleges and universities in the county.

“After consultation with the districts and the County Office of Education, I unfortunately believe the safest option is to keep the schools closed through the end of the school year,” Kaiser said. “I know this situation is stressful for schools, students and parents alike, and I appreciate everyone’s understanding during this difficult time.”

The order follows comments Wednesday from Gov. Gavin Newsom in which he said his expectation is that "schools will not reopen" for the remainder of the academic school year.

The governor described the closures as "the right thing to do" to keep children and families safe during the COVID-19 outbreak, but he stopped short of issuing a school-specific statewide order.

“As the Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, the health and safety of our students is top priority; therefore, I wholeheartedly support Dr. Kaiser’s order to close schools through June 19,” said Dr. Judy White, Riverside County Superintendent of Riverside County Office of Education. “We are grateful for Dr. Kaiser’s leadership and care for the welfare of all.”

Riverside County Board Chair V. Manuel Perez, who represents the Fourth District, said school districts are working to ensure youth have access to education through distance learning and access to school meals. To date, more than 1.31 million lunches have been provided by local school districts to students during the school closure order.

Grades and graduation are also being worked through across the county.

Several school districts announced the extended closure to families Wednesday night, and many have distance learning plans already in motion.

In the Lake Elsinore Unified School District, district spokesman Mark Dennis said that in response to guidance provided by California Department of Education, on March 20 the LEUSD launched an online enrichment resources portal to serve grades T-K through 12.

"We have been developing it since early March when school closures seem imminent," Dennis said.

"Courses are organized by grade level. They are aligned to state standards in all subjects," Dennis continued. "A student may select the course to register, which gives them access to a plethora of tools, readings, activities and lessons, [including] video and interactive content as well."

Next week, the LEUSD will begin handing out devices for students who need them. One device per household is the supply limit, Dennis said.

According to Newsom's Wednesday briefing, Google is providing broadband access to 162,013 areas statewide to bring the internet to students. The governor called on other companies to help ensure no child is left without access to online learning.

In the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, officials told MVUSD families the school year is not over. Instead, "it has just transitioned from classroom instruction into distance learning."

The MVUSD acknowledges there are questions about graduation ceremonies.

"Please know we are aware that many students, especially our seniors and their parents, were looking forward to celebrating promotion and graduation ceremonies," district officials told families. "Our secondary teams are having discussions about how we might offer these memorable experiences in different formats and/or at a later date than previously scheduled.

"There are many options and many considerations for our teams to figure out in the best interest of all graduating seniors. Hence, a decision will not be hastily made, but please know that this is a constant discussion topic for our high school administrators and once definitive dates are set for our region, we will be ready to honor our Class of 2020," MVUSD officials said.

In the Temecula Valley Unified School District, district officials shared distance learning plans prior to spring break and said more information will be distributed Friday. The TVUSD's device distribution is scheduled next week.

As of April 1, Riverside County has 429 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths and 40 recoveries. Recoveries are defined as people who have completed the quarantine period, no longer have symptoms and their public health cases are now closed.

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