ESUSD Superintendent Melissa Moore distributed the message at the link to parents, staff and the community today, March 20, 2020.
Dear ESUSD Parents, Staff and Community,
On March 19, 2020, the Los Angeles County Health Officer issued the “Safer at Home Order for Control of COVID-19,” which applies to all cities in Los Angeles County (including the City of El Segundo), with the exception of the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach. The same day, California Governor Newsom also issued Executive Order N-33-20, that ordered all individuals to stay home or in their place of residence in response to COVID-19.
According to Safer at Home, which is now in effect, people are urged to:
- stay home or at their place of residence
- only leave home for essential items
- avoid gatherings of over 10 people
Following those announcements yesterday evening, the El Segundo City Manager issued an Administrative Order No. 2 to close all city parks and facilities, effective March 19, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. until April 19, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. To align with the City of El Segundo’s Administrative Order No. 2, I have made the difficult decision to close all ESUSD school campuses to the public, including the El Segundo High School track and fields, Richmond Street School field, Center Street School field and El Segundo Middle School field. With limited staff still on hand during school closure, the district cannot patrol gatherings that may take place on campuses, nor can it keep up with high-level sanitizing maintenance on outdoor facilities that may be accessed by the public; therefore, ESUSD will reduce access to open spaces where possible to increase public safety.
It is important to note that Governor Newsom’s Executive Order will extend school closures until further notice. Thus, I anticipate school closure in ESUSD will indeed by extended accordingly. Los Angeles County Office of Education will likely establish an extended deadline for local school districts in the next few days as public health officials agree that limiting close contact is the best way to limit community spread. I will continue to communicate directly to our community as our district follows suit, as our staff is monitoring this ever-evolving scenario closely.
Going forward, ESUSD employees performing essential functions will be limited to a skeletal crew. We will continue to support ESUSD operations and our six schools through telecommuting. Principals distributed information to all families regarding locations where school meals will continue to be provided. ESUSD will continue to offer distance learning and continue to pay employees.
We recognize that these swift changes are difficult for everyone, however these steps are taken in accordance with expert recommendations, as well as state and local guidelines. We thank you for your patience and cooperation with these highly important actions to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19. I am grateful that our entire ESUSD team has done an excellent job throughout this unprecedented transition. Know that above all, we are committed to keeping you safe. Your safety is our number one priority. Take care of yourself and each other.
Melissa Moore, Ed.D.
Superintendent
El Segundo Unified School District