Statement to Staff: You may have heard that the Orange County Board of Education members are hosting a meeting today to propose the full reopening of school without recommended safety protections (face coverings or physical) distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These recommendations do not align with any official guidance by the State of California (California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Department of Education or even the OCDE’s own “Orange County Together” issued by the Orange County Department of Education and Orange County Health Care Agency: https://ocde.instructure.com/courses/669 While we encourage staff to express concerns regarding their proposal directly to the OCDE Board, we wanted to reassure you that the Orange County Department of Education only offers technical support and resources to school districts. The OCDE Board of Education does NOT have jurisdictional governing authority to direct school district action, including reopening and health/safety measures. Health mandates and guidance for safe school reopening are issued by the California Department of Public Health and Orange County Health Care Agency. GGUSD is following the guidance of the CDPH and OCHCA in planning for reopening of schools. Please see below a statement shared with us from the Orange County Department of Education to help clarify this issue: There has been some confusion, understandably, over the role of the OC Board of Education and our agency, the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE). OCDE and County Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares has worked with local school district leaders to develop “Orange County Together: A guide to safely reopening schools in the COVID-19 era.” This resource, available on our website, is in alignment with the California Department of Public Health, which stresses the importance of social distancing and face coverings when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. The five-member OC Board of Education, which has separate responsibilities, is hosting today’s meeting to discuss a white paper with alternative recommendations. The board majority’s recommendations are not binding. Locally elected school boards and superintendents will approve and implement plans specific to their districts based on the needs of their schools and communities. Our department — OCDE — is working to support districts in that effort, and we remain 100 percent committed to following and sharing the guidance of the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency. Abby Broyles Public Information Officer 714-663-6503/[email protected] Garden Grove Unified School District
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