Dear Superintendents and Charter School Leaders,
Thank you for your time today. I’m writing to follow up on a few issues we discussed during our meetings.
Public Health Update
The following are key takeaways from an update from San Diego County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten:
- The local public health order was extended indefinitely while we await guidance from the state of California on when they could begin to ease back requirements to stay at home.
- Starting today, residents are required to wear face masks anytime they come within six feet of a person who is not a member of their own household.
- San Diego County is making progress toward meeting five requirements that would allow the county to begin easing regulations put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.
- Local public health is creating a cross-walk between the state’s five-phase and federal government’s four-stage guidance on reopening. We will share that document when it’s available.
- We don’t know if gatherings like graduations will be allowed in July; it will depend on state and local guidance. We anticipate loosening of restrictions around gatherings will happen in the reverse of how they were imposed (so first gatherings of up to 10 people would be allowed, then 50, 75, etc.).
- As essential workers, school employees may be tested for COVID-19. Those with symptoms should contact their health care provider first. If the health care provider is unable to test, symptomatic school employees should contact 211 San Diego.
Weekly Education Sector Telebriefings from Public Health
District and charter school representatives (teachers, administration, classified staff, and school nurses) are invited to weekly telebriefings hosted by the County of San Diego to share the latest updates on COVID-19 in San Diego County.
The briefings are every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Participants also have the opportunity to ask questions during the call through an online chat feature.
Telebriefing details.
Virtual Support Frameworks
SDCOE has created resources to assist district and school leaders in their planning for those activities that they would typically be carrying out in the spring, summer, and beginning of the year, but now have to consider how to shift due to the pandemic. The documents also attempt to breakdown what these activities look like for specific groups of students (for example, graduating seniors, 8th graders transitioning to high school, etc.).
FCMAT Fiscal Alert
The Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) issued an alert today addressing considerations and approaches for budget preparation for 2020-21 during this time of uncertainty. At this time, FCMAT believes best-case funded COLA could be in the -2% range, and worst case in the -10% range; they recommend local educational agencies run multiple budget scenarios to help them begin to understand the financial impacts.
View the alert.
Thank you for your continued efforts to support San Diego County’s children during these uncertain times. As always, don't hesitate to reach out if you need further assistance.
Sincerely,
Paul
Dr. Paul Gothold
San Diego County Superintendent of Schools
phone: 858-292-3514
