Most Ventura County Schools To Begin New School Year Entirely Online
VENTURA (CBSLA) — The Ventura County Office of Education announced Thursday that most local school districts and charter schools were going to start the upcoming school year entirely online in light of the recent surge in coronavirus cases.
"Ventura County schools had been hoping to begin the year with a mix of in-class and distance learning, but the worsening coronavirus crisis has increased the risks of reopening campuses, even on a limited basis," the office said in a statement. "Nearly all of the school districts and charter schools in the county as well as the Ventura County Office of Education have jointly agreed this is the best course of action at this time."
The Ventura County school districts and charter schools that have said they would begin the 2020-21 school year entirely online are:
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
- Briggs School District
- Conejo Valley Unified School District
- Fillmore Unified School District
- Hueneme Elementary School District
- Mupu Elementary School District
- Oak Park Unified School District
- Ocean View School District
- Oxnard School District (K-8)
- Oxnard Union High School District
- Pleasant Valley School District
- Rio School District
- Santa Clara Elementary School District
- Santa Paula Unified School District
- Simi Valley Unified School District
- Somis Union School District
- Ventura County Office of Education
CHARTER SCHOOLS
- Architecture, Construction & Engineering Charter High School
- Bridges Charter School
- Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education
- Golden Valley Charter School
- Ivy Tech Charter School
- Meadows Arts and Technology Elementary School
- River Oaks Academy
- University Preparation Charter School
- Valley Oak Charter School
- Vista Real Charter High School
Las Virgenes Unified School District — which is based in Los Angeles County, but serves a portion of Ventura County — will also start the school year entirely online.
Those that have decided not to reopen campuses at the start of the year will begin providing distance learning on their regularly scheduled start dates, which can be found online. School leaders will be continually monitoring the spread of the virus and evolving public health guidance as they evaluate when they can safely return to on-campus instruction.
"Keeping campuses closed is not a decision that any of us take lightly," Stan Mantooth, Ventura County superintendent of schools, said in a statement. "We want nothing more than to bring all students back to class where their educational, social and developmental needs can be best met. However, we cannot in good conscience reopen all of our campuses at a time when the coronavirus is surging in our state and our region."
Ventura Unified, Moorpark Unified, Ojai Unified and Mesa Union school districts as well as Ventura Charter School have not yet announced their plans.
For more information about the upcoming school year can be found on the Ventura County Office of Education website.
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