Elk Grove Unified seeks waiver for missed school days. Spring break still scheduled
Elk Grove Unified announced on Wednesday that it will seek a waiver from the state for the five days of school students took off this week. If the waiver is approved, the district will not have to add an additional week of classes at the end of the school year to make up for the school closures.
California schools are funded under a formula that counts attendance as a factor. When students miss days, funding decreases. Closure of an entire school — or district — could be financially devastating without the waiver, reducing funding by millions for larger districts. School districts across Northern California asked the Department of Education for waivers after schools closed due to wildfire smoke.
Schools still remain closed for the remainder of this week, but according to the district’s statement, it announced that spring break will continue as scheduled.
Elk Grove Unified’s spring break is scheduled for April 6-10 for the traditional calendar, and April 6-17 for the modified traditional calendar.
“If the district is unsuccessful in its pursuit of State relief through the waiver process, the district will need to make up the days of instruction,” read the statement. “It is all of our hope that the state will approve the waiver; in the meantime, the district will be working with labor groups on a contingency plan.”
The district added that it believes closing the schools was a “prudent decision.”
Events were abruptly canceled on Saturday when the district, the largest in Northern California, made its announcement to close its schools Saturday after discovering that a parent of a child who attends a school in the district was ordered into quarantine by the Sacramento County Public Health Department.
The district later announced Monday evening that a Maeola R. Beitzel Elementary School student tested positive for coronavirus. The student is at home and doing well, said Dr. Peter Beilenson, Sacramento County’s health leader.
By Tuesday morning, the district announced that events on Tuesday and Wednesday were back on, including the Sheldon High School boys basketball team, which won Tuesday, and a robotics team trip to Fresno this week for a chance to compete for the National competition in Houston.
On Wednesday, the district released a statement saying it would allow events to take place on Thursday as well.
“The Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) is reinstating student eligibility for academic and athletic team events scheduled for Thursday, March 12, 2020,” the statement read. “An announcement will be made about academic and athletic team events scheduled after Thursday.”
Classes at all Elk Grove Unified schools are expected to resume on Monday, but the district said it will send out more information on Thursday about next week’s schedule.
On Tuesday, the district announced it will meet with labor leaders to discuss keeping the original spring break on the calendar and will consider seeking financial compensation from the state for this week’s missed school days. The district will also consider adding additional days to the end of the school year.
Beilenson acknowledged the Elk Grove school district had consulted with his staff in coming to the decision to close schools, but suggested that it may have been a hurried process.
The county and the school district met for hours Monday, and given the county’s new approach at mitigating the risk of the virus, Beilenson said canceling all school activities is not necessary.