Orange County Board of Education Votes To Reopen Schools Without Masks Or Social Distancing

Clay Robinson | July 15, 2020
DONATE
Font Size

The Orange County Board of Education voted 4 to 1 Monday evening to approve recommendations for reopening schools, which excluded requirements for masks and social distancing.

According to the Los Angeles Times, this decision is not mandatory, but rather just a few of the recommendations for individual school districts to consider. Other recommendations include daily temperature checks, frequent handwashing, and use of hand sanitizer, and frequent disinfection of classrooms and offices. 

“California public schools are critical community institutions with civic responsibilities that often move far beyond teaching. For many families, public schools also provide crucial and recreation needs as well as important mental health care and nutritional needs,” the Board of Education wrote in a white paper

“Therefore, the Orange County Board of Education concludes that is is not acceptable to delay the opening of public schools as it is not in the best interest of our children and families,” the white paper added, “Further, it is not clear that an effective cure or a vaccination for [COVID-19] will be developed in the near future if at all.

Just after the Board of Education’s decision, Governor Gavin Newsom of California rolled back reopening plans after a surge of cases within the state. All bars, dine-in restaurants, movie theaters, museums, and other indoor businesses must close for three weeks.

In contrast to Orange County, Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified school districts announced that the fall school year will begin online. 

“One fact is clear: those countries that have managed to safely reopen schools have done so with declining infection rates and on-demand testing available. California has neither,” according to a joint statement from the school districts. 

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos told CNN Sunday that, “There [are] going to be exceptions to the rule, but the rule should be kids go back to school this fall.

donate