News Update

Newsom announces new school year could start in July or early August, says expanding childcare is important as some businesses begin to reopen

Acknowledging the “learning loss” happening while schools have been closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Newsom announced today that campuses may reopen in July or August for the next year to help students get caught up academically.

“We recognize there’s been a learning loss because of this disruption,” he said. “We’re concerned about that learning loss even into the summer.”

Normally the new K-12 school year would start in August at the earliest.

Reopening schools early and expanding the availability of childcare are both part of the second phase of a four-part plan to reopen the state, said Newsom and Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health.

“As we open up schools, as we make sure that child care is more broadly available” Angell said, “it also makes it more possible for parents to go back to work.”

Newsom said the second phase of reopening could start in the next few weeks for “low risk” businesses such as for manufacturing and office workers. He said it would take longer to establish protocols for higher-risk businesses such as hair and nail salons, which involve close contact between people.

Finally, he said it would likely be “a while” before California would enter phase 4, which would include concerts, conventions, sporting events and other large gatherings. That phase is not likely to happen until the state reaches widespread immunity or a vaccine is developed, he said.


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