News Update

California parents send letter demanding governor reopen school campuses

Parents representing more than 100 districts in California sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday demanding that he reopen campuses immediately.

“Our kids have been out of school for 349 days. We are rapidly approaching the one year mark of public school closures. It is time for action, not further negotiation,” wrote Megan Bacigalupi, a parent in Oakland Unified who’s president of the Open Schools California parent group.

“If you cannot reach agreement with the Legislature to reopen schools immediately, we demand action through whatever means necessary to ensure no child is left behind,” she wrote.

The group cites students’ declining physical and mental health, as well as academic losses, over the year since campuses closed. It also highlights the inequitable impact of campus closures on students based on race and socioeconomic factors.

Newsom should heed the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics on how to safely reopen schools, the group said.

The group represents parents from most of California’s largest districts, including Los Angeles Unified and San Diego Unified, as well as smaller districts such as Mount Shasta Union in Siskiyou County and Pajaro Valley Unified in Watsonville.


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