LTUSD closing all schools starting Monday
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The Lake Tahoe Unified School District will close all schools starting Monday.
The district, in connection with El Dorado County schools and districts, made the announcement Saturday afternoon that all schools will be closed for three weeks and through spring break, from Monday, March 16 through Saturday, April 12.
As indicated in the letter from all El Dorado County school districts, the situation will be constantly monitored on a week-by-week basis.
“The safety and wellness of students, families, and school personnel are the highest priorities of all El Dorado County schools and districts,” the district said in a press release. “In recognition of the statewide COVID‐19 situation and the potential impact in El Dorado County, school district superintendents and Dr. Ed Manansala, county superintendent of schools, have decided in concurrence with Dr. Nancy Williams, county health officer, to close all public El Dorado County schools. We will reassess at the end of next week whether an extension of school closures beyond March 20 will be necessary.”
Williams reported while there are no positive cases in the county, the El Dorado County Public Health Division expects to begin seeing positive cases in the coming days and weeks which may require a continued response.
Several counties in California and states across the country have made similar choices, including the counties of Placer, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and Ventura. The states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin have decided to close all public schools, according to the release.
“While we recognize this decision will pose challenges and hardship to many families in our county, the most effective way to slow and disrupt the transmission of this pandemic is by implementing social distancing practices,” the release said. “During the time of the school closure, we are asking that students and families follow the County Public Health Officer’s directive to stay home and minimize social contact to the extent possible. Protecting public health requires a community‐wide response, and we will need the help of families to help remain united in our response.”
While children have not been shown to be a high‐risk group for serious illness from COVID‐19, they are still able to transmit the virus to populations who are most vulnerable to serious illness, such as older adults and those with compromised immune systems, the release said.
The district plans to advise parents Thursday each week.
To achieve the greatest effect in reducing COVID‐19 transmission in El Dorado County, please encourage students and their families during this time to: avoid large public gatherings such as malls, movie theaters, and other spaces, especially those that are indoors; plan to spend the dismissal week with just their immediate family and a few friends; use social media and phone to keep in touch with the rest of their family and friends; postpone visits to older adult relatives and neighbors, and to people with compromised immune systems and avoid traveling out of the county to other locations where COVID‐19 is circulating more widely.
For more information and the latest updates visit:
- ● Centers for Disease ControlCOVID‐19 website: https://www.cdc.gov/COVID19
- ● El Dorado County Public Health website: https://www.edcgov.us/Government/hhsa/Pages/EDCCOVID‐19.aspx
- ● El Dorado County Office of Education website: http://edcoe.beehv.com/novel‐coronavirus‐covid‐19‐information
For ideas on how to talk to your children about COVID‐19 please visit: https://www.nasponline.org/resources‐and‐publications/resources‐and‐podcasts/school‐climate‐safety‐and‐crisis/health‐crisis‐resources/talking‐to‐children‐about‐covid‐19‐(coronavirus)‐a‐parent‐resource
Correction: This story was updated to show the district plans to stay closed through April 12.
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