As districts and county offices of education prepare to reopen schools in the fall while putting into practice social distancing, sanitation and other recommendations from state and local health departments, CSBA understands the difficult decisions our members are facing. Districts will require significant resources to reopen safely in the fall as they continue to face unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19 — that is why CSBA will continue our statewide advocacy efforts for additional state and federal funding that schools desperately need. Social distancing will require smaller class sizes and master schedule changes to provide healthy and safe environments for students and staff. Properly disinfecting schools and maintaining safe learning environments will be a top priority for students, staff and parents. All of these efforts will require additional staff and increased costs at a time when K-12 education may face significant budgets cuts.

When and how to reopen campuses remains a local decision that should be made in consultation with state and local health officials. To assist districts in reopening school campuses, CSBA has created sample Board Policy 0470. The policy is intended for use during the coronavirus pandemic and supersedes conflicting provisions in other district policies and regulations, thereby eliminating the need to temporarily revise other policies and regulations. When the Governing Board determines, in conjunction with guidance from state and local health officials, that district operations may resume in a manner that makes this policy inapplicable, it should be removed from the district’s policy manual. In the meantime, we hope you will find these policies useful as you navigate the challenges of COVID-19 response in the service of California’s public school students.