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Coronavirus concerns cancel class this week at Elk Grove Unified Quarantined family prompts district to take action Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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DEVELOPING SITUATION. EMIL ALL 67 OF T DISTRICT SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED. ALL STUDENT ACTIVITIES WILL BE CANCELED. LIKE YOU MENTIONED, PLEASANT GROVES HIGH SCHOOLS FROM COMIC CANCELED. SHELDON HIGH SCHOOL’S BIG BASKETBALL GAME, ALSO CANCELED. FINALS WEEK WILL ALSO BE PUT ON HOLD. ALL IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT >> THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS. >>WHEN I TOLD MY KIDS THERE IS SCHOOL, THE OLDEST CHILD THAT IS IN NINTH GRADE WAS LIKE, THIS IS FINALS WEEK, WHAT DO WE DO? EMILY: CHERYL HAS TWO DAUGHTERS IN ELK GROVE SCHOOLS. SHE THINKS THE DISTRICT IS TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS. >> I AM NOT MAD THAT THEY ARE CLOSING THE SCHOOLS, I AM APPRECIATI THAT THEY ARE TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS TO CLOSE THE SCHOOLS. TO PROTECT OUR KIDS. I DON’T WANT THE CORONAVIRUS. EMILY: THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID IN A LETTER THAT A FAMILY HAS BEEN QUARANTIN AFTER TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. HE SAID NO STUDENTS OR STAFF ARE KNOWN TO HAVE THE VIRUS. >> FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR KIDS AND OUR STAFF, IT’S MY FIRST PRIORITY. -- EMILY: THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID THE DECISION TO CLOSE SCHOOLS IN COUNCIL STUDENT ACTIVITIES WILL GIVE THE DISTRICT TIME TO EVALUATE THE BEST PLAN MOVING FORWARD. >> I DO KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING AND I DON’T NOT THAN ANYBODY KNOWS WHERE IT’S GOING. THAT IS THE CHALLENGE. THERE IS NO EASY ANSWER HERE. EMILY: BOARD MEMBER NANCY SAID PARENTS DON’T NEED TO PANIC. >> THIS IS 100% A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. THERE IS NO REASON FOR PARENTS TO BE CONCERNED. WE ARE ACTING TO REALLY PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS VIRUS AND BASED ON THE ADVICE WE ARE GETTING FROM THE COUNTY HEALTH OFFICE. EMILY: THE DISTRICT WILL MOV APRIL SPRING BREAK UP TO NEXT WEEK. SOME PARENTS KNOW THEY WILL HAVE TO JUGGLE WORK SCHEDULES THAT SAY IT’S WORTH IT TO KEEP THE KID SAFE. I WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY JOB WHEN THE TIME COMES. AS ONE DOES MY KIDS ARE SAFE, THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME. EMILY: THE SUPERINTENDENT SAYS THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE AND HE SAYS NOW THE DISTRICT IS TAKING EVERYTHING ONE DAY AT A TIME. HE PLANS TO UPDATE PARENTS NEXT WEEK ABOUT WHETHER’S -- WHETHER SCHOOLS WILL STAY CLOSED. WALTER YOU MENTION THE DISTRICT IS MOVING SPRING BREAK TO NEXT WEEK. WHAT HAPPENS TO FAMILIES THAT MADE PLANS FOR THEIR SPRING BREAK IN APRIL? IT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT AND SOMETIMES MONTHS TO MAKE THESE PLANS. EMILY: AND A LOT OF MONE AND PLANNING. BOOKING FLIGHTS, SCHEDULING HOTELS AND DOING EVERYTHING TO GET YOUR FAMILY READY TO GO ON A SCHOOL VACATION. THE SUPERINTENDENT SAY THEY WILL BE WORKING WITH PARENTS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND WEEKS TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT STEPS THEY NEED TO TAKE YOUR IT THERE IS NOT A PLAN IN PLACE RIGHT NOW FOR WHETHER PARENTS AND FAMILIES WILL GET IN TROUBLE IF THEY KEEP THEIR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL ON THAT APRIL VACATION. A LOT OF THINGS STILL TO BE WORKED OUT AS THE DISTRICT CONTINUES TO TAKE IT STEP BY STEP FOR THIS SITUATION. WALTER: SEVERAL PARENTS HAVE STARTED SEVERAL PETITIONS TO KEEP SPRING