All public schools in Orange County will be closed to students through at least March 27 as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, officials said Saturday.
The Orange County Department of Public Education joins the Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts in shutting down classrooms as officials across California report a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
O.C. officials on Friday confirmed 13 COVID-19 patients, including the first person—a woman in her 50s—believed to have acquired the virus locally.
“I want to reassure our Orange County community that the risk of transmission remains low, and that there are no known cases of COVID-19 infection in a student or teacher at this time,” county Health Officer Dr. Nichole Quick said Friday. “That said, I understand the concerns parents are experiencing and support the school district’s decision to close temporarily. It’s important to note that as both public and private testing capabilities continue to expand, we expect to see more cases.”
School officials said some O.C. students will have to stay home longer with certain districts’ spring breaks being rolled into the closures.
Here’s the latest information from the O.C. Department of Public Education for each school district:
| Anaheim Elementary School District | All schools will be closed starting Monday, March 16 with an anticipated return on Monday, March 30. |
| Anaheim Union High School District | All schools will close to students for two weeks beginning Monday, March 16 and through the end of the regularly scheduled spring break, which ends March 27. |
| Brea Olinda Unified School District | Distance learning will take place March 16 through April 3, followed by Spring Break April 6-10. |
| Buena Park School District | All schools will close Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27 and return on Monday, March 30. |
| Capistrano Unified School District | Spring Recess has been re-scheduled for the week of March 16-20. School will be closed to students for an additional two weeks, from March 23 through April 3. |
| Centralia Elementary School District | Students will be dismissed beginning Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20. Schools will remain closed during spring break, March 23 – 27. |
| Cypress School District | Students will be dismissed Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20. Spring break will follow, March 23-27 for traditional calendar schools. Landell will be on spring break March 23 through April 15. |
| Fountain Valley School District | All schools, programs and pre-school will close March 16-27. |
| Fullerton School District | Schools will close beginning Monday, March 16. Students will return on Monday, March 30. |
| Fullerton Joint Union High School District | Schools will close to students and instruction will continue through distance learning March 16-20. Spring break will follow, March 23-27. |
| Garden Grove Unified School District | Schools will close to students Monday, March 16 through Friday, April 3, followed by spring break from April 6 through April 10. |
| Huntington Beach City School District | Schools and offices will close Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. |
| Huntington Beach Union High School District | Schools will be closed March 16-27. |
| Irvine Unified School District | All IUSD schools and facilities will close effective Monday, March 16, with an anticipated return date of Monday, April 6. |
| Laguna Beach Unified School District | Schools will close and student-related activities will be suspended Monday, March 16 through April 3. |
| La Habra City School District | Schools will close to students starting Monday, March 16. They will tentatively reopen after spring break on Monday, March 30. |
| Los Alamitos Unified School District | All schools will close for two weeks beginning Monday, March 16. |
| Lowell Joint School District | Schools will be closed Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27, with students returning Monday, March 30. |
| Magnolia School District | Schools will be closed Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. |
| Newport-Mesa Unified School District | Students will be dismissed March 16 through April 3. Distance learning will take place March 20 through April 3. Spring break is April 6-10. |
| Ocean View School District | Schools will be closed March 16-27. |
| Orange Unified School District | Students will be dismissed March 16 through March 27. The two-week dismissal is followed by one week of spring break. |
| Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District | Schools and offices will be closed March 16 through March 27, scheduled to reopen March 30. |
| Saddleback Valley Unified School District | Schools will be closed for two weeks, March 16-27, with the possibility of a third week if warranted. Spring break is scheduled to start April 6. |
| Santa Ana Unified School District | Schools will be closed March 16 through April 10. Classes are scheduled to resume after spring break, on April 13. |
| Savanna School District | Schools will be closed March 16 through March 27. |
| Tustin Unified School District | Schools will be closed for a weeklong spring break starting March 16. A second week will likely be added. |
| Westminster School District | Students will be dismissed March 16-27. |
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included incorrect information from the O.C. Department of Public Education regarding the closure of Magnolia School District campuses. This post has been updated with the latest information from the school district.
