Manhattan Beach Schools Close On-Campus Activities Until Jan. 13

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The extensive coronavirus tracing process used by the Manhattan Beach School District was detailed at a special Board of Trustees meeting this morning as the board examined its next moves regarding the return of students to campus and in-person learning.

Just before the Christmas holiday, MBUSD Superintendent Mike Matthews wrote in his Monday Morning Message that TK-2 grade students would return to in-person learning the week of January 4 and would now attend two days a week instead of the one day they'd first implemented when TK-2 grade students were first allowed to return to in-person learning the week of December 8.

After nearly a 90-minute meeting devoted solely to the subject of addressing when on-campus activities would resume due to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's announcement of a mandatory 10-day self-quarantine for those who've traveled outside of the county, the school board, which has been following LADPH guidelines, discussed a variety of return dates as well as the EDP program.

On a 4-1 vote, with Cathey Graves voting "No," the board approved delaying on-campus opening until Wednesday, Jan. 13 for TK-2 cohort A and Friday, Jan. 15 for cohort b, with Thurday, Han. 14 becoming the cleaning day for all campuses. Distance learning will be used until those dates for the TK-2 grade students.

The EDP program, in which childcare is provided for elementary school students on school campuses, will not be subject to closure and will allow students back on campus on Tuesday, Jan. 6. The rationale is that EDP is a program that has allowed frontline healthcare works to be able to go to work in hospitals and medical centers to provide critical aid during the pandemic.

Several teachers said during public comment that they wanted to wait until at least the week of Jan. 18 to return to on-campus activities. An ecomment in the Chat room during the meeting from Kat Galas read, "Agreed wholeheartedly with this teacher! of course in person is better than remote but to not weigh it against the safety of all is entirely reckless!"