Governor: County data to determine if schools reopen

Local health data is determining the fate for students this upcoming school year as Governor Gavin Newsom laid out new public and private school education guidance for schools looking to reopen this fall.

23ABC's Tori Cooper provides details on the new guidelines and a response from a local parent.

THE FATE FORSTUDENTS THIS UPCOMING SCHOOLYEAR - AS GOVERNOR GAVINNEWSOM LAID OUT NEW PUBLIC ANDPRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATIONGUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS LOOKING TOREOPEN THISFALL.23ABC'S TORI COOPER IS JOININGUS LIVE FROM THE KERNCOUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLSOFFICE.

SHEHAS DETAILS ON THE NEWGUIDELINES AND A RESPONSE FROMA LOCAL PARENT.

TORI?YEA JESSICA,AS OF RIGHT NOW KERN COUNTY ISNOT ON THE STATESMONITORING LIST FOR ADDITIONALCOVID-19 GUIDELINES-MEANING SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTYCAN TECHNICALLYREOPEN THIS FALL WITH SPECIFICMEASURES IN PLACE.

BUT IF WEEND UP BACK ON THE LIST SOON- ASHEALTH OFFICIALS ARE STILLPROJECTING A SPIKE IN CASES-DISTANCE LEARNING WILL BEMANDATED ONCE AGAIN.GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM ANNOUNCEDNEW GUIDANCE FRIDAY FOR SCHOOLSLOOKING TO REOPEN FOR THE2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR.AS OF NOW KERN COUNTY HAS BEENTAKEN OFF THE STATES MONITORINGLIST BUT THE GOVERNOR SAYS THECOUNTY MUST REMAIN OFF THE WATCHLIST FOR 14 CONSECUTIVE DAYS TOOPERATEON CAMPUS WITH IN PERSONINSTRUCTION.ALONG WITH SPECIFICMEASURES IN PLACE DEPENDING OURYOURSTUDENTS GRADE LEVEL.("ALL STAFF AND STUDENTS IN THIRDGRADE OR ABOVE MUST WEAR MASKS,"STUDENTS IN SECOND GRADE ANDBELOW ARE STRONGLYENCOURAGED TO ALSO WEAR A MASKOR A FACE SHIELD.STUDENTS WHO ARE UNWILLING ORUNABLE TO COMPLY WITHMASK REQUIREMENTS MAY BE ASKEDTO SWITCH TOREMOTE LEARNING.THE STATE WILL REQUIRESANITATION STATIONS ONCAMPUS, WITH ALL STAFF ANDSTUDENTS FOLLOWING THESOCIAL DISTANCE RULE OF 6 FEETAPART IN THE CLASS.ALONG WITH EACH SCHOOL DAYSTARTING WITH A TEMPERATUREAND SYMPTOM CHECK-BUT THE GOVERNOR DID NOTSPECIFY WHO WOULD BERESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THESEPROTOCOLS.A KERN COUNTY MOTHER OF THREE-KELLI CRESPO WAYINGIN.ON THE NEW REQUIREMENTS.("I KNOW MY KID PERSONALLY HAS APANIC ATTACK EVERY TIME SHE PUTSON AMASK,"KELLI TELLS US SHE HAS ONECHILD WITH ADHD AND TWO OTHERSONE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL THE OTHERIN HIGH SCHOOL-- WHO SHEBELIEVES LEARN BEST IN AN ONCAMPUS CLASS SETTING-AND WHILE GOVERNOR NEWSOM AGREESTHE BESTSCENARIO IS IN-PERSON TEACHING,FOR THE MEANTIMEWHILE HE IS REQUIRING DAILY LIVEINTERACTION WITH STUDENTSTUDYING AT A DISTANCE..A 5.3 BILLION DOLLAR STATELEGISLATIVE PACKAGE WILLHELP TO ACCOMODATE SPECIALEDUCATION NEEDSAND HELP SCHOOL DISTRICTSPURCHASE MATERIALS NEEDFOR DISTANCE LEARNING LIKE WIFIAND LAPTOPS FOR STUDENTS."I PERSONALLY THINK THE ZOOMMEETING ARE A COMPLETE WASTE OFTIME FORTHE TEACHER AND THE STUDENTS, IFEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO STOPFOCUSING ON IN PERSON AND THEYNEED TO PREPARE A DAY OR A WEEKCRICULUM AND MAKEIT FOR THREE R FOR HOURS ANDHAVE THEIR CHILD DO IT WITHTHEIR PARENTWHENEVER THEY CAN."COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR--ROBMESZAROS OF THE KERN COUNTYSUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ALSOADDRESSED THE CHALLENGES.("TEACHING AND LEARNING SUFFEREDBECAUSE DISTANCE LEARNING WASSIMPLY A FOREIGN CONCEPT FORK-12 EDUCATION AND I BELIEVEMANY STRIDES HAVE MADEIN A FEW SHORT MONTHS AND OURSCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE IN A FARBETTERPLACE NOW THAN THEY WERE INMARCH." NOW IF A TEACHER ORSTUDENT IN A CLASSROOMTESTS POSITIVE FOR THEADDRESSED THE CHALLENGES.MANY STRIDES HAVE MADE IN A FEWSHORT MONTHS AND OUR SCHOOLDISTRICTS ARE IN A FAR BETTERPLACE NOW THAN THEY WERE INMARCH." NOW IF A TEACHER ORSTUDENT IN A CLASSROOMTESTS POSITIVE FOR THECORONAVIRUS, THE STATE'SRECOMMENDATION IS THE WHOLECLASS BE SENT HOME TO SELF-QUARANTINE AND IF MULTIPLECLASSROOMS ARE HAVING TO SELF-QUARANTINE ON CAMPUS.."WE STIPULATE 5 PERCENT OF THESCHOOL, LOCAL SCHOOL NOT THEDISTRICT BUT LOCAL SCHOOL ISPOSITIVE THEN IT WOULD TRIGGERCRITERIA TOCONSIDER CLOSING OR MANDATERATHER CLOSURE OF THAT SCHOOLSITE."MEANING IF 25% OF CLASSES ONCAMPUS HAVE A CASE OFCORONAVIRUS THE SCHOOL WILL BEREQUIRED TO SHUTDOWN.BUT EITHER WAY IF KERN COUNTYDOES NOT STAY OFF THE WATCHLIST."THEY MUST BEGIN THE SCHOOL YEARTHIS FALL THROUGH DISTANCELEARNING."NOW MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS WEREPLANNING ONREOPENING THIS FALL IN KERNCOUNTY AND WERE GOING TOCONTINUE DISTANCE LEARNINGTHROUGH THEBEGINING GRADE PERIOID BUT AGAINTHE REOPENING ANDCLOSURES OF SCHOOL SITES WILLALL DEPEND ON OUR COUNTIESREOPENING THIS FALL IN KERNCOUNTY AND WERE GOING TOCONTINUE DISTANCE LEARNINGTHROUGH THE BEGINING GRADEPERIOID BUT AGAIN THE REOPENINGAND CLOSURES OF SCHOOL SITESWILL ALL DEPEND ON OUR COUNTIESNUMBERS.AND STATE SUPERINTENDENT TONYREOPENING THIS FALL IN KERNCOUNTY AND WER