With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA County Schools Chief: Unlikely Campuses Would Reopen By July
A padlocked entrance to Bellevue Primary Center, an L.A. Unified School District campus in Silver Lake, on April 1, 2020. (Kyle Stokes/LAist)
Los Angeles County's top education official said today that it's unlikely that local public school districts will re-open their campuses by July, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom had suggested last week.
"Many of us were surprised by the governor suggesting that," L.A. County superintendent of schools Debra Duardo said during an appearance on KPCC's AirTalk on Friday.
There are still too many unknowns, Duardo said: masks and thermometers are still "on backorder." Re-opening schools early would require negotiations with labor unions.
Duardo has convened two dozen leaders of L.A. County's 80 districts for a task force to study the re-opening of schools. She says even when campuses re-open, classrooms are likely to run very differently:
Sponsored message
"We're talking about only having a small number of students present at any particular time. A classroom that may have 30 students would more likely have 10 students. We'd have to stagger schedules. We'd have to have some students physically present on certain days while others continue to receive instruction remotely…
"We're also looking at partnerships with libraries and parks so some students can receive remote learning in a nontraditional school setting so parents can go to work while they're getting remote online instruction."
- LISTEN to Duardo's appearance on AirTalk: When and How Will SoCal Students Get Back to School?
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
