Schools Face Uncertainty As SMC Lands On State Watch List

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA – Local schools are scrambling to adjust after San Mateo County was placed on the state’s watch list, which limits public gatherings and business activities.

The county officially went on the state's monitoring list Sunday as a result of a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The county’s placement on the state’s watch list limits the flexibility of local schools to pursue various in-person learning options to start the school year, the San Mateo County Office of Education announced in a news release Monday.

Middle schools and high schools can only resume in-person learning once the county has been off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days.

Elementary schools can open the school year with in-person learning, but only after applying for a waiver and being approved by San Mateo County Health.

Teachers and administrators will be allowed to work on campus as they provide distance instruction

Both public and private schools are subject to these restrictions.

Child-care and preschool operations will not be impacted by this order.

“The COVID-19 virus poses real challenges to school safety, but by carefully and thoughtfully implementing the Four Pillars of safety and ensuring a system for contact tracing and testing, we can begin to serve some students in person while effectively controlling community spread,” San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee said in a statement.

“Through robust distance learning and in-person hybrid models, schools can continue to meet the needs of students, including those students with the most developmental and urgent learning needs.”

San Mateo County schools are preparing to provide distance learning that will include daily live interaction with teachers and meaningful engagement with other students, as well as targeted supports and interventions for English learners and special education students, the SMCOE statement said.

“Schools have been preparing for this challenge, with many local teachers participating in SMCOE’s distance learning training program offered this summer in partnership with the San Mateo County Community College District,” the statement said.

Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know

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