Superintendents of seven of California’s largest school districts said Wednesday that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to reopen local campuses fails to set a clear statewide standard for judging COVID-19 conditions and seeks to use taxpayer funds that would otherwise go toward existing education programs.

The criticism, outlined in a seven-page letter to Newsom, casts doubt on whether there is broad support among educators for the governor’s proposal to reopen some classrooms as soon as next month. It also highlights the challenge faced by Newsom and lawmakers in finding a way to pay for the sweeping effort, which would include frequent coronavirus testing and other expensive health-related mandates.

“Our schools stand ready to resume in-person instruction as soon as health conditions are safe and appropriate. But we cannot do it alone,” superintendents of schools in Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Fresno and Sacramento wrote in the letter. “Despite heroic efforts by students, teachers and families, it will take a coordinated effort by all in state and local government to reopen classrooms.”

Superintendents of seven of California’s largest school districts said Wednesday that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to reopen local campuses fails to set a clear statewide standard for judging COVID-19 conditions and seeks to use taxpayer funds that would otherwise go toward existing education programs.
The criticism, outlined in a seven-page letter to Newsom, casts doubt on whether there is broad support among educators for the governor’s proposal to reopen some classrooms as soon as next month. It also highlights the challenge faced by Newsom and lawmakers in finding a way to pay for the sweeping effort, which would include frequent coronavirus testing and other expensive health-related mandates.

“Our schools stand ready to resume in-person instruction as soon as health conditions are safe and appropriate. But we cannot do it alone,” superintendents of schools in Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Fresno and Sacramento wrote in the letter. “Despite heroic efforts by students, teachers and families, it will take a coordinated effort by all in state and local government to reopen classrooms.”

Read the full story on LATimes.com.