School Closure Information, by District

Carrie Watts Uncategorized

Schools all over the Los Angeles area are closing due to concerns about public health and safety related to the coronavirus.

UPDATE March 23rd: On Monday, March 23, 2020, LAUSD issued a statement via a letter that was sent to all parents in the district. The statement updated the status of school closures in the district, indicating that schools will be closed until at least May 1st. Superintendent Beutner stated in the letter that more details would be provided later in the day as to how the district was working to assist all students to continue to learn. In statements over the weekend preceding this letter, Beutner indicated that the district was working to put plans in place to address specific concerns, including how to meet the needs of kids with disabilities.

UPDATE March 19th: On March 19, 2020, the city of Los Angeles issued a stay at home order that impacts businesses and other entities throughout the city. This order is in place through at least April 17th. Also on March 19, 2020, Governor Newsom announced a statewide stay at home order for all of California, making California the first state to issue such order. The California statewide stay at home order is in place as long as necessary with no exact end date stated. These orders will impact school closures – schools that had anticipated dates of return in late March or in early to mid April are expected to be closed longer due to these orders.

UPDATE March 17th: On March 17, 2020, during remarks on the state of the coronavirus crisis, Governor Newsom stated that it is likely that many schools throughout California will not reopen for this school year. It is unclear what this will mean in terms of completing the instruction for students this year yet.

Below is the list of school closures in the Los Angeles area in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The concerns about the coronavirus are causing quickly evolving changes, and we will keep this post updated as often as we can.

For each school district, we have identified the projected end date of the closure according to available information at this time. We have also briefly summarized the pertinent “need to know” information for each school closure.

We have also developed a guide to help parents better understand the impact of information such as whether distance learning is offered, available at this link.

We are working on also including links to each individual district’s website for further information about their response to the coronavirus.

Is your district in the Los Angeles area missing from this list or do you have access to more current information? Please email cdwatts@a2zedad.com. We are striving to provide the families in the Los Angeles area impacted by school closures with as much up to date information as possible.

School Closures Details for Los Angeles area schools:

Last update: March 23, 2020

Beverly Hills Unified School District: Closed through April 6th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. “Home Learning” to begin March 24th, with teachers communicating about expectations for the week. Curriculum will be provided for all core classes and electives.
  • Special education provided? Maybe. BUSD’s statement is that staff will make best effort to deliver special education and related services at the minutes in the IEP through utilizing the “platforms available” (i.e. what they are using for distance learning). IEP teams will determine possible compensatory education when school resumes.

Burbank Unified School District: Originally Closed through March 27th UPDATE: As of March 23rd, Burbank schools are estimated to be closed through May 4, 2020

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. The Burbank district moved to a “flexible learning model” with online curriculum and learning centers. The available information was lacking in specificity.
  • Special education provided? Originally not clear. No information was made available at the time that the closure was announced as to whether special education and related services will be provided.
  • UPDATE: On March 23, 2020, Burbank Unified School District sent a letter to parents regarding the extension of the school closures to May 4th. In that letter, it was stated that the District was working to put plans in place to address the needs of students with disabilities. Specifically, the District stated that it would implement IEP services to “the greatest extent possible” using alternate format/means during distance learning. The District indicated that in the week following spring break, the case carrier for each student’s IEP would contact the family to discuss implementation.

Conejo Valley Unified School District: closed through March 20th

  • Distance learning provided? No. The Conejo Valley district states that it made the decision not to provide distance learning opportunities to students to continue their curriculum during the closure because it would not be able to meet its responsibility to ensure equal access.
  • Special education provided? No. The district’s statement regarding the decision not to offer distance learning appears to indicate that the determination was made in order to avoid having to provide special education, in light of the guidance language from the federal government.
  • What is provided? “Optoinal activities will be avaialble to students” online.

Cypress School District: closed through March 26th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. The Cypress district’s statement indicates that to support student learning, lessons and educational materials will be made available to all students in electronic and printed form.
  • Special education provided? Unclear. There is no information available about the provision of special education and related services.

Downey Unified School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. The Downey district stated that it had a plan for continuity of learning during the cessation of on-site instruction. Materials were provided to elementary school students in packets. Middle and High School students in Downey were to be provided with instruction and materials online through Google Classroom.
  • Special education provided? Unclear. No information is available about the provision of special education and related services.

El Segundo Unified School District: closed through April 10th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. The El Segundo district stated that “remote instruction” will be provided by teachers from March 16th through April 3rd (the remainder of the closure is spring break).
  • Special education provided? Unclear. No information is available about the provision of special education and related services.

Glendale Unified School District: closed through April 3rd

  • Distance learning provided? Not clear. The Glendale district is extending its spring break for an additional week, after which “remote enrichment activities” will be provided. Elsewhere, the term “remote learning model” is also used. It is unclear.
  • Special education provided? Probably not. The use of the term “enrichment activities” may be intended to avoid providing special education, in light of the federal guidance.

Fullerton School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Sort of. Each student was reportedly provided with a 5 day “at home learning plan.” However, in its press release, the Fullerton district stated that this was an “optional” plan, and that it was also providing “optional learning resources.”
  • Special education provided? Probably not. Labeling the at home learning as “optional” may be purposeful in order to avoid providing special education in light of the language of the federal guidance.

Hermosa Beach City School District: closed through April 13th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. Instruction is to be provided remotely via email, google classroom, or other electronic formats. Materials were also provided by teachers to support ongoing instruction.
  • Special education provided? Unclear. No information is available about the provision of special education and related services.

Inglewood Unified School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. Self-guided learning activities are available on the district’s website. A “learning workbook” was issued to students through 8th grade. High school students in Inglewood were provided with instructional materials.
  • Special education provided? Unclear. No information is available about the provision of special education and related services.

Lancaster School District: Closed through April 3rd

  • Distance learning provided? No. The only mention of this is a statement that the staff is working to make “recommendations” for parents to use at home.
  • Special education provided? Probably not. If the district is not providing any formal distance learning plan, it most likely does not have a plan in place for the provision of special education and related services.

Las Virgines Unified School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes, although somewhat unclear. The Las Virgines district referenes “distance learning” and “online engagement” with the class, but elsewhere refers to this as “distance activities.”
  • Special education provided? Unclear. The reference to “distance activities” may be an attempt to avoid having to provide equal access and special education services.

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD): closed for at least two weeks, beginning March 16th UPDATE: As of March 23rd, LAUSD schools will be closed until at least May 1st.

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. At the time of the superintendent’s announcement, he made it clear that there would be a plan for curriculum and instruction for each classroom, and online instruction provided where possible. PBS is also working with LAUSD to make curriculum-based content avaialble to students who may not have access to devices in order to participate in online instruction.
  • Special education provided? Unclear. The superintendent has stated that LAUSD realizes its obligation to meet the needs of its students with disabilities, but has been unclear on how services might be provided. The written statement references only that special education centers are closed, but that families have access to regional centers.

Long Beach Unified School District: closed through April 17th

  • Distance learning provided? Unclear. It does appear as through LBUSD intends to provide distance learning, as it has referenced plans for continuing instruction during the closure. No information yet available.
  • Special education provided? No information yet available.

Manhattan Beach Unified School District: closed through April 13th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. MBUSD is providing its students with “remote instruction.”
  • Special education provided? Yes. MBUSD’s plan includes having the case carrier for each child with an IEP contact parents to provide a plan for implementation of the IEP through a “different delivery model” during the closure.

Norwalk La-Mirada Unified School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Unclear. The available information at this time is only that NLMUSD plans to develop “appropriate at-home enrichment activities and distance learning to ensure continuiety of the educational program.”
  • Special education provided? Unclear. There is no information available about the provision of special education and related services.

Ojai Unified School District: closed through March 20th

  • Distance learning provided? Unclear. The Ojai district referred to the fact that additional guidance from the state was to be made available on Tuesday, March 17th, and that it would rely on that guidane to develop possible distance learning.
  • Special education provided? Unclear. Information has not yet been made available about a plan.

Orange Unified School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. Teachers will provide remote learning activities online. The district indicated that every child needs a device connected to the internet, and provided resources for access.
  • Special education provided? Unclear. No information is available on the provision of special education and related services.

Oxnard Union High School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. However, the latest information simply stated “Distance Learning Plan to Come.”
  • Special education provided? Unclear. A plan has not yet been made available.

Palmdale School District: closed through April 3rd

  • Distance learning provided? No. Palmdale School District has stated that it determined providing distance learning to be “not feasible at this point,” referring to concerns about equitable access due to students who did not have devices or access to the internet.
  • Special education provided? Unlikely, given that there is no plan for distance learning.

Redondo Beach Unified School District: closed through April 10th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. Teachers will provide instruction remotely to all students.
  • Special education provided? Yes. The district has stated that all students will hear from their teachers on a consistent basis, including “special education teachers and service providers.”

Riverside Unified School District: closed through April 3rd

  • Distance learning provided? No. There is no plan for continuation of instruction.
  • Special education provided? No. The district stated that services for students with special education will be discontinued during the closure.
  • What is available? Despite stating that instruction would not be provided, the Riverside district does have a web page with “remote learning activities” that includes packets and materials to “maintain skills” during the closure.

Saddleback Valley Unified School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Most likely not. The available information only states that the district is working to provide information to help families support student learning.
  • Special education provided? Most likely not. There is no information about special education during the closure.

San Gabriel Unified School District: closed through April 3rd (includes already scheduled spring break)

  • Distance learning provided? No. San Gabriel is only providing “optional” resources.
  • Special education provided? Most likely not. The use of the word “optional” in reference to what it is providing is possibly intended to avoid providing special education during the closure, in light of the language from the federal guidance.
  • What is available? The district is providing “Optional High Quality Online Learning Resources” on its website

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District: closed until April 20th (includes two weeks of spring break)

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. Materials provided for continuity of learning, with no planned curriculum for the two weeks of spring break.
  • Special education provided? Not clear. No information regarding the provision of special education and related services during the closure.

South Pasadena Unified School District: closed until April 3rd

  • Distance learning provided? Not yet. The district provided information about “optional” learning activities, and stated that it was waiting for futher guidance from CDE on remote learning and independent study options.
  • Special education provided? Not yet. The district also stated it was waiting for CDE guidance on provision of special education services.

Torrance Unified School District: closed through March 27th

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. The district identified a variety of modalities by which schools will continue to provide instruction to students.
  • Special education provided? No information yet available.

Whittier City School District: closed through April 3rd

  • Distance learning provided? Yes. The Whittier district has a plan in place for providing continuity of instruction. Resources were provided along with a continuity plan by teachers for elementary school students, and older students will complete lessons via google classroom or email.
  • Special education provided? Unclear. There is no mention of the provision of special education and related services.

Wiseburn Unified School District: closed through April 3rd

  • Distance learning provided? No information available
  • Special education provided? No information available