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California Officials Release Pandemic Reopening Guidelines for Schools

 

Summer may have just begun but parents and students around the Bay are already looking forward to returning to school and some sense of normal this fall. And it’s official, normal’s going to be different.

 

On Friday, the California Department of Public Health released new guidelines for school districts as they prepare to reopen. And earlier today, the state’s Department of Education released its own guidebook that closely mirrors the public health recommendations. 

 

Under the guidelines, students should have their temperatures taken every morning and teachers should wear face shields. Crowded classrooms should be replaced by desks spaced six feet apart and separated by partitions to limit face to face contact. 

 

Students could also find themselves in the same classroom all day with the same teacher in order to minimize contact with others. And meals could be served in classrooms and not the cafeteria. 

 

These are just a few of the recommendations that come as school districts face severe budget cuts, both locally and from the state. For its part, the state’s public health department will assist by providing face shields and masks for all teachers and students, thermometers, and a lot of hand sanitizer to every school.

 

 

Precious has lived in and loved the Bay Area since 2012 when she moved from Atlanta, Georgia. Her reporting interests include the politics of race and gender and pop culture as a reflection of our changing cultural landscape. Prior to joining KALW, Precious worked with a variety of community development, social impact and economic equity focused organizations. Before moving to the Bay Area, she practiced law in her hometown.