Responding to the superintendent of the Los Angeles Office of Education, who recommended all schools countywide close to students effective Monday, March 16, school districts across the San Gabriel Valley announced their plans.
“After much consideration, I am making the recommendation that school closure is the most appropriate step at this point in light of the crisis facing our communities and nation,” Superintendent Debra Duardo said in a statement. “Our focus must be on ensuring the continuity of learning as well as the safety and well-being of students, staff and families.”
Schools will remain closed until at least March 27, the county department, the largest regional education agency in the nation, announced Friday, March 13.
The Office of Education oversees and supports Los Angeles County’s 80 school districts, comprising more than 2 million students from preschool to 12th grade.
Because Pasadena Unified’s school board granted its superintendent emergency powers at its meeting Thursday night, that school district was able to announce its closures Friday morning ahead of the rest. Pasadena Unified is expected to reopen April 6.
Teachers and staff will report to work on Monday.
In response to the edict, many school districts scrambled to assemble their boards in emergency meetings on Friday. Montebello Unified’s school board will meet on Saturday.
Watch this space for specific announcement from each school district as they come in.
Alhambra Unified
Alhambra Unified schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to April 6, district Superintendent Denise Jaramillo said in a statement. Jaramillo’s statement says students and parents will soon receive information about distance learning.
While students are dismissed, teachers will continue to work, according to the district.
The district will still provide free or reduced-price meals at most schools. Students who attend Monterey Highlands Elementary and Brightwood Elementary will go to Ynez Elementary to pick up meals. Students who attend Moor Field School will go to Ramona Elementary School to pick up meals.
Parents and students can pick up meals from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays, the district will implement a drive-thru program to pick meals to increase social distancing. Meals will not be available during spring break, March 30 to April 5.
According to the California Department of Education, 67.2% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
Arcadia Unified
Arcadia Unified will be closing all school starting next week and, following the recommendation from LACOE, will stay closed for two weeks.
“We don’t have all the answers as of this moment, but to give you ample time to prepare for you and your families, we wanted to get you this information as soon as possible and before many of you leave work today,” a district statement released Friday says.
The district is looking into possible distance learning options “and other details,” it says.
Azusa Unified
All Azusa Unified schools will be closed from March 16 to April 3, district Superintendent Linda Kaminski said in a statement.
Students will receive education materials when the school day ends on Friday, March 13, Kaminski said. School officials will continue to communicate with parents regarding education materials.
Students who qualify for free and reduced meals can pick up “grab and go” meals on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Mondays, students can receive two days of meals and on Wednesday, students can receive three days of meals.
Meals can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Murray Elementaryl, Valleydale Elementary and Azusa High schools. Students can also pick up meals between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Azusa High.
According to the California Department of Education, 82.5% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
Baldwin Park Unified
Baldwin Park Unified schools will be closed from March 16 to March 31, Superintendent Froilan Mendoza said in a statement.
Mendoza’s statement said students and families can expect another statement from their respective schools regarding distance learning in the next few days.
Students who receive free and reduced-price meals can pick up meals during school closure from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jones Jr. High School and Bursch Elementary School. However, parents will have to drive through a designated site, where meals will provided for the number of children in the car. Students must be present to receive meals.
According to the California Department of Education, 86.5% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
Bassett Unified
Bassett Unified announced it will close all schools starting March 16. School closures will continue for two weeks until March 27.
The school district’s statement also said officials are “working to provide free and reduced-price meal programs where our families will be allowed to pick up and take-home meals from our school sites.”
School officials said they will release another statement regarding other “distance learning options.”
According to the California Department of Education, 88.6% of the district’s student population receives free and reduced price meals.
Bonita Unified
Bonita Unified schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to April 3, district Superintendent Carl Coles announced in a statement. All extracurricular activities and school events, including the after-school care program have also been canceled.
Coles’ statement also said students who receive free meals can pick up lunches from 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday during the school’s closure period. According to the California Department of Education, 38.4% of the district’s student population receives free and reduced-price meals.
Charter Oak Unified
Charter Oak Unified will be closing all schools beginning Monday, March 16. Students are expected to return to class when spring break finishes on April 6.
Covina-Valley Unified
Covina-Valley Unified schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to April 10, Superintendent Richard Sheehan said in a statement.
Laptops have been sent home with all students, and students and parents will receive more information about distance learning soon, Sheehan said.
Students and parents will receive information regarding meals on Sunday, March 15. According to the California Department of Education, 68.2% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
Duarte Unified
Duarte Unified schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to April 3, Superintendent Gordon Amerson said in a statement after the school board met Friday evening.
The district’s spring break starts on Monday and school closures will continue after the break. Amerson also said all after-school care programs, extracurricular events and athletics will be suspended too.
The school board will meet again Tuesday, March 17 to discuss free or reduced-price meals for students, distance learning and other business operations during the closures
El Monte City Schools
El Monte City School District announced all schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to March 27. The district’s statement said learning will continue during school closures, but provided no details.
Students who receive meals from their schools can pick up “grab-and-go” meals at some schools throughout the district during the closure period from 9 a.m. to noon. For a full list of schools where students can pick meals up, to to the district website.
El Monte Union High Schools
The El Monte Union High School District announced all schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to March 27.
School officials will continue to assess the closure’s length and adjust it as necessary, the district’s statement says. Students and parents will receive an email about distance learning from the district on March 17.
Students who receive free and reduced-price meals can continue to pick up meals during the closure period from 9 a.m. to noon at El Monte, Arroyo and South El Monte high schools.
According to the California Department of Education, 88.2% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
Garvey schools
The Garvey school board met Friday night, March 13 to discuss a possible plan for school closures, the district said in a statement. However, the statement also said officials will notify parents of their decision noon Saturday, March 14.
Glendora Unified
Glendora Unified schools will be closed from March 16 to April 3, district Superintendent Robert Voors announced in a statement.
Teachers will communicate with students through Google Classroom, email or Aeries, the district’s student information system.
On Monday, faculty at Glendora schools will prepare necessary materials, such as textbooks, for students to pick up at their respective school before noon.
Voors’ statement also said the timeline for district closures could be extended.
Hacienda La Puente Unified
The Hacienda La Puente Unified school board met Friday night to discuss school closures. It decided all schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to April 12.
The board will continue to reassess bringing students back to schools but hope students can return by April 13, members said.
Also on Monday, March 16, the school board will meet again to discuss further education options for students while schools are closed. Other details not yet clear are meal options for students who receive free or reduced-price meals.
La Cañada Unified
La Cañada Unified School District announced school closures on Thursday after an emergency meeting. Its schools closed Friday and aren’t expected to reopen until Monday, March 23.
Teachers and staff were ordered to report to work on Friday to come up with materials to send home with students, according to a Thursday statement from Superintendent Wendy Sinnette. The superintendent will update families and staff on Thursday, March 19 about the status of school closures.
Monrovia Unified
Monrovia Unified schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to April 5, district Superintendent Katherine Thorossian said in a statement. This includes the district’s spring break, which will run from March 27 to April 5.
Thorossian’s statement also said school officials will provide guidance about educational materials that can be accessed from home.
Students and parents will receive information regarding meals, individualized education plans and curricular access on March 18. According to the California Department of Education, 59.5% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
Mountain View Schools
The Mountain View School District announced all schools will be closed from Monday March 16 to March 27.
The elementary and middle school district said in a statement it will send learning materials home with students on Friday, March 13. School officials plan to update parents on other assignments and learning opportunities.
The statement also said schools will provide another statement with details on meals for students during the two-week closure. Those details have not yet been released. According to the California Department of Education, 91.4% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
Pomona Unified
Pomona Unified School District will close all schools between Monday, March 16 and March 27, the district announced in a statement. However, the next week, starting March 30, is spring break. All students and faculty are due to campus on April 6.
Rosemead Schools
Rosemead School District schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to March 27, the district said in a brief statement. The district will send out information regarding distance learning and meals soon, the release says.
Rowland Unified
Rowland Unified School District schools will be closed from Monday March 16 to March 27, district Superintendent Julie Mitchell announced in a statement. The school’s spring break will begin on March 28 and end April 3.
Mitchell’s statement also said parents will receive information from their respective schools about continued learning on Monday, March 16.
The district has not released any details on free meals for students. According to the California Department of Education, 75.2% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
San Gabriel Unified
San Gabriel Unified is closing all schools from Monday March 16 through March 27, according to a Friday statement from Acting Superintendent Jim Symonds. Spring break will continue as scheduled for the week of March 30 to April 3.
“We don’t have answers as of this moment, but to give you ample time to prepare for you and your families, we wanted to get this information as soon as possible and before many of you leave work today,” it says. “We will follow up with more information about possible distance learning options and other details.”
San Marino Unified
San Marino Unified will close schools beginning Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 27, according to a Friday statement. Details were sparse, but the district encouraged parents to check the website for more updates.
South Pasadena Unified
South Pasadena Unified’s school board approved an emergency resolution on Thursday, allowing the board to move up the district’s scheduled spring break and extend it by five days. The new break will be Monday, March 16 to March 27.
“This change may result in adding instructional days to the end of the school year, if required by the California Department of Education,” according to a statement from Superintendent Geoff Yantz.
The district will soon provide supplementary resources for students to review at home, and while they’re not required to use the materials during the spring break, the statement says, they are welcome to do so.
“We realize this is a time of uneasiness for many students and families and will be in touch with additional updates before the end of the spring break recess,” the statement says.
Temple City Unified
Temple City Unified schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to April 5, Superintendent Kimberly Fricker said in a short statement. Fricker’s statement did not include any information regard distance learning or meals for students who receive free and reduced-price meals.
Valle Lindo Schools
The Valle Lindo School District is closing schools for two weeks, beginning Monday, March 16, according to a Friday statement.
The district sent students home on Friday with an alternative home learning packet for students to use while they’re off for the next two weeks. Parents are encouraged to check the district website for updates.
Walnut Valley Unified
Walnut Valley Unified schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 until its spring break ends on April 19, Superintendent Robert Taylor said.
School officials will send out information about distance learning to students and parents next week, Taylor said.
West Covina Unified
West Covina Unified schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 to a date to be determined by Superintendent Charles Hinman, the school board desiced Friday evening.
While schools are closed, a district statement says students will learn from a “Remote Learning Plan,” which can be accessed from the district’s website.
The district has not released any details on whether it will continue providing free meals for students yet. According to the California Department of Education, 65.9% of the district’s student population receive free and reduced-price meals.
Editor Chris Haire contributed to this report.
This story is developing. Check back often for updates.
