All LAUSD schools to close Monday in response to COVID-19
By Sam Catanzaro
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will cancel classes, sending half-a-million kids home in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19)
According to LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner, effective Monday, March 16, all Los Angeles Unified public schools will close for two weeks while officials evaluate the appropriate path forward.
The district says plans are in place for students to continue to learn during this time, and LAUSD will open 40 family resource centers to provide care for children if families need it.
“This is a difficult decision, but necessary, as we try to slow the spread of the virus. Los Angeles Unified serves a high-needs population, and our schools provide a social safety net for our children. The closing of any school has real consequences beyond the loss of instructional time. This is not an easy decision and not one we take lightly,” Beutner said. “These next two weeks will be difficult and we are not certain what lies ahead after that.”
The family resource centers will open on Wednesday, March 18 and will be staffed weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Children will be able to have a warm meal, engage with their peers and pursue their different studies.
On Wednesday, health officials announced the first death from the virus. The individual (a non-resident visiting friends) was an older adult who traveled extensively over the past month, including a long layover in South Korea.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health), the total number of cases in Los Angeles County is 32 as of Thursday.
