El Condado De Sonoma Proporciona Una Actualización De La Revisión De Exenciones Escolares Para La Instrucción Presencial

Press release from the Sonoma County Government:

October 7, 2020

En español

After carefully reviewing 15 applications, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services approved a local school, Presentation School in Sonoma, to move forward with its waiver request for reopening for classroom instruction. The next phase involves a mandatory consultation and review with the California Department of Public Health.

The requests from 13 schools did not include sufficient details and supporting documentation regarding how they would meet the testing and contact tracing requirements. The schools listed below have been asked to submit more information before the County determines if their plans meet state requirements:

• Harvest Christian School, Petaluma
• Redwood Adventist Academy, Santa Rosa, K-6
• Sonoma Country Day School, Santa Rosa
• Summerfield Waldorf School, Santa Rosa
• St. Eugene's Cathedral School, Santa Rosa
• St. Francis Solano School, Sonoma
• St John the Baptist Catholic School, Healdsburg
• St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School, Petaluma
• The Healdsburg School, Healdsburg
• The Spring Hill School, Petaluma
• Victory Christian School, Santa Rosa
• Windsor Christian Academy, Windsor
• Kashia School, Stewarts Point (the application was withdrawn by the school)

One of the waiver requests was denied because it did not meet the grade limitations set by the State, which only allow applications for grades TK through 6th:

• Redwood Adventist Academy, Santa Rosa, K-8

Due to the state COVID-19 category currently in Sonoma County, only schools from TK to 6th are allowed to apply for exemptions. The Sonoma County Department of Health Services has requested that schools submit additional information by October 6 and expects to begin making decisions regarding pending waiver requests on Friday, October 9. The County will then begin the mandatory consultation process with the California Department of Public Health the following week.

Sonoma County Schools have been closed for classroom instruction since mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The County is currently working with local schools and the California Department of Public Health to support the safe reopening of elementary schools that meet state requirements.

“We know that distance learning is putting enormous pressure on our families and students,” said Susan Gorin, chair of the Board of Supervisors. "We are following State guidelines to support elementary schools that can demonstrate that they can safely reopen."

The school closings were part of a series of broader restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Since the County is currently in the purple category under the Safer Economy Plan, schools cannot open for classroom instruction unless they obtain a waiver from the local health agency or operate in accordance with specific regulations. of the State for specialized services for small groups (cohorts). In August, the California Department of Public Health developed the Waiver Process for Reopening Face-to-Face Learning in Elementary Schools during COVID-19, which outlined the process and criteria for allowing elementary schools (TK-6th) to offer face-to-face instruction for a limited group of students in small cohorts. This process requires interested schools to submit robust plans to the local health agency.

“We recognize that reopening schools carries health-related risks,” said Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase. “The waiver process requires schools to show that they can do it in the safest way possible. We take this into account, together with the available scientific evidence and local data, to analyze these school exemptions ”.

To date, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services has received and reviewed waiver requests for classroom instruction from 15 Sonoma County schools. When creating their plans, schools had to consult with workers, parents, and community organizations. Plans are required to include the following factors:

• Cleaning and disinfection.
• Small and stable cohorts.
• Entry, exit and movement within the school.
• Face covers and other essential personal protective equipment.
• Student and staff health assessments.
• Hygiene measures.
• Identification and contact tracing.
• Physical distancing.
• Staff training and education for families.
• Testing for students and staff.
• Criteria for switching to distance learning mode.
• Communication plans.

The Department of Health Services has a special interest in how schools demonstrate their ability to identify and trace contacts and evidence of students and staff.

In reviewing the applications, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services analyzed the plans to determine if they met the State's criteria, and also considered other data, such as current scientific evidence, case rates, trends in positive tests and other key metrics.

This press release was produced by the Sonoma County Government . The views expressed here are the author's own.