Events Postponed Or Canceled In Santa Clara County

From the Gilroy Unified School District:

March 12, 2020

Dear GUSD Staff and Families,

The 31 superintendents in our County, along with the Superintendent of the Santa Clara County Office of Education, in consultation with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, have developed joint guidelines regarding districts’ responses to COVID-19. The Gilroy Unified School District is using these guidelines to guide our actions and to address the many questions that we are receiving regarding COVID-19. Please reference the link to our website for communications to date about COVID-19.

In a letter sent to you on Monday, March 9, 2020, we shared the list of events and activities that have been postponed or canceled. Based on the latest guidance, these postponements and cancellations will remain in effect until at least April 10, 2020.

In this update, the following topics will be addressed: attendance, athletics, confidentiality, and volunteers on campus. As questions and topics arise, we will continue to send you guidance regarding these. Please know that we share your concerns and that student and staff safety always remains our highest priority.

Attendance

The Gilroy Unified School District is following the joint guidance referenced above in regards to absences. As of today (March 12), schools will remain open and students who are well should continue to attend school.

The District will continue to code any student who chooses not to attend school based on the concern of contracting the COVID-19 virus as “unexcused.” We understand that families can choose to keep their child(ren) at home during this time and for the next few weeks, the District will not be taking any truancy action or disenrolling students accruing “Unexcused Absences.” In addition, we are working with the Santa Clara Health Department and Santa Clara County Office of Education to monitor student and staff absences per their direction.

Currently, we do not have the capacity to provide instructional support for well students who stay at home. If a student has extenuating health circumstances, please contact your site administrator to identify appropriate next steps.

Athletics

In the March 10, 2020 letter, we shared that all travel, field trips, events and activities for staff and students out of the county have been postponed or canceled. This decision is consistent with Public Health’s guidance which states: “At this time, Public Health recommends that non-essential travel of both students and staff be suspended due to the potential to increase the risk of transmission of novel coronavirus into other communities.”

This direction prohibiting out-of-county travel includes athletic competitions and events out of county. Some districts in Santa Cruz County have also canceled travel by athletic teams to our county and district. We have heard that other districts and counties will likely do the same in the near future.

Additionally, the Public Health Department has provided guidance regarding gatherings of people, which includes spectators at athletic competitions that address the following criteria:

1. Size of the event
2. Mix of age groups
3. Ability of individuals to stay at arms-length
4. Duration of the event.

The joint guidance from Santa Clara County and the Public Health Department states, “Any events for which the four [above] considerations cannot be assured should be canceled or postponed.”

The District has concluded that we cannot ensure that the guidelines set forth by Public Health and Santa Clara County are strictly adhered to and therefore, as of Monday, March 16, is postponing all athletic competition at the middle and high school level until at least April 10, 2020. Practices may continue as previously scheduled until further notice.

Confidentiality and Privacy

It has been brought to the District’s attention that rumors claiming District staff, students or parents have either been exposed to or have contracted the COVID-19 virus are being circulated.

At this time, no District staff member or student has been identified as having the COVID-19 virus. If employees or students are confirmed to have tested positive with COVID-19, we will immediately alert staff and parents and will take all necessary and appropriate actions to protect the health and safety of our community.

We are asking that you refrain from discussing any person by name or in any way that might identify them in conjunction with COVID-19. Not only are such rumors an unlawful invasion of privacy and defamatory, sharing inaccurate information significantly adds to the fear and uncertainty spreading in our community. This illegal activity can also undermine genuine reports and information from the District and from other State and Federal agencies.

Please remember, pursuant to State and Federal privacy laws, the District and its staff members must keep the medical condition of staff and/or students strictly confidential, including those who may become sick with COVID-19.

Volunteers

Again, in an abundance of caution in order to keep our students and staff safe and to help slow the spread of COVID-19, we are suspending volunteers coming onto our campuses until at least April 10, 2020. This directive includes parent volunteers and volunteers from the community.

School Closures

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department is not advising school closures at this time in our county. If that direction changes, we will inform you as soon as possible. Students are in the lowest risk group for this virus – approximately 2% of those people with the virus are 19 and under. Because of new protocols implemented this week, our schools are able to limit the number of people in close proximity to one another. If schools are closed, vulnerable families are at a higher risk of being negatively impacted. Many students in our district rely on schools and staff for basic needs, including regular meals, health care, and childcare.

Additionally, closing schools may unintentionally impact our healthcare community and our collective response to COVID-19. There are parents of students who are working as healthcare providers or in the health field on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. If schools close, parents may not be able to work and provide for their families. The following is quoted from a Forbes Magazine article this week about school closures;

“Working parents have to scramble to find child care and rearrange schedules. For parents in service jobs, those paid by the hour, or those without vacation day or sick leave, the financial hit can be devastating. And then there are students who depend on schools for hot meals, support and guidance they don’t get anywhere else. For homeless students, those without computers or connectivity or those who live in dangerous environments, talk of online instruction is an …impractical-proposition.”

The County Public Health Department will consider, based on specific facts and circumstances, whether closure of a school is warranted if a staff member or student in a school is confirmed to have COVID-19. As of now, our schools will remain open.

The health and safety of our staff, students and families continues to remain our highest priority and we appreciate your understanding and patience as we do all that we can to keep our school community safe.

Please feel free to contact your principal or my office to share your questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Deborah A. Flores, Ph.D.

Superintendent,

Gilroy Unified School District

This press release was produced by the Gilroy Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.