San Mateo County Cancels Classes For Rest Of School Year

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — San Mateo County and five other Bay Area counties announced Tuesday afternoon plans to close schools for the rest of the school year.

Instruction will continue at home in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, Alameda County Office of Education said in a news release. The decision was made in consultation with county public health officials.

“We find ourselves in an urgent public health crisis,” San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee said in a statement.

“Schools must be responsive to the needs of the greater community. By continuing to provide instruction to students at home, we can both support learning and do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19. The questions about when to close schools – and when to reopen them – are, in large part, public health decisions. We highly value our collaboration with our public health partners and will continue to respect their authority in this matter.”

Two weeks ago, the same counties said schools would remain closed through May 1.

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The counties re-evaluated after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that California schools should remain closed for the rest of the school year and students should proceed with distance learning, according to the Alameda County education office statement.

Newsom described the closures as "the right thing to do" to keep children and families safe during the COVID-19 outbreak during an April 1 press conference.

"Although our campuses are closed to kids, school is not out for the year," state Superintendent Tony Thurmond said during the press conference.

San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow said the magnitude of this public health crisis demanded such action.

“The decision to further extend closures is critical for maintaining social distancing and protecting the health and safety of all San Mateo County and Bay Area residents,” Morrow said in a statement.

“We will continue to work closely with school leaders and adjust our orders and guidance once the data reflects that we’ve significantly stemmed the spread of COVID-19.”

Full coronavirus coverage: California Coronavirus: Latest Updates On Cases, Orders, Closures