LBUSD Sup't (With Six Other School Dist Sup'ts) Tells Governor: Remove Our Local School Dist. Decisionmakng -- By Supt, School Board Or Community Groups, Preventing Supt, School Board Or Community Groups From Refusing To Apply Sac'to-Decided COVID-19 Reopening Standards

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LBUSD Sup't Baker says she'll provide information to School Board in closed and open session next week

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(January 6, 2021, 1:50 p.m.) -- The LB Unified School District has joined six other CA School Districts in telling CA Governor Gavin Newsom they want more money to implement his "Safe Schools For All" reopening plan AND -- in a development running counter to local control -- said they want the state of CA to set a statewide COVID-19 standard for reopening schools and once state COVID standards are met "schools then should be required to be open for in-person instruction. No local stakeholder -- whether a superintendent, school board, labor partner or community organization -- should have an effective veto over the reopening of classrooms "

In their jointly signed letter, the superintendents of seven school districts -- Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Fresno, San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento -- write in pertinent part:

California Needs a Clear and Consistent Standard for COVID-Related Health Factors in Schools<. California has long had among the highest standards for public education in the nation. This crisis is no time to lower the standards for instruction, health and safety in schools or the protections for school employees.
State COVID standards must set consistent minimum practices necessary for all schools and all communities -- rather than the patchwork that currently exists. The risk of the virus is the same in every classroom throughout the state and the standards of safety should be the same.
Nothing clarifies the confused nature of the state guidance on reopening more than the fact the new plan raises the reopening threshold to 28 cases per 100,000 -- a significant increase from 7 last month.
Our students, parents and staff need clear, consistent and well-understood guidelines in order to maintain confidence in the process. Once the state COVID standards for safety are met, schools then should be required to be open for in-person instruction. No local stakeholder -- whether a superintendent, school board, labor partner or community organization -- should have an effective veto over the reopening of classrooms.

It's unclear from their letter whom the superintendents would favor setting such statewide standards. Gov. Newsom has said his "Safe Schools for All" plan is an "iterative" (developing) process and the plan he initially announced is a draft subject to revision

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