NMUSD Schools Remain Open

The Southern California stay at home order DOES NOT IMPACT Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) or any other school district already open for in-person instruction. The Governor’s office clarified that schools that reopened with or without a waiver, can remain open. Students will continue hybrid in-person instruction, and teachers and staff will continue to work from their assigned locations. Throughout this pandemic we have implemented health and safety precautions aligned to state and county guidelines, to keep our schools safely open for hybrid in-person instruction. State and local health officials also have cited evidence that the health and safety measures schools have implemented, which include physical distancing, face masks, ventilation enhancements, smaller cohorts, timely contact tracing and notifications, and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, have been effective in combating COVID-19. California Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly also noted that schools are not the source of the current COVID-19 surge, they continue to have low case and transmission rates, and may remain open during the pandemic. The publicly reports positive cases for both students and staff. The dashboard demonstrates that the total number of cases is below the 5% threshold that would trigger a school to consider a move to 100% Distance Learning, under the California Department of Public Health requirements. We remain focused on safety, make adjustments where needed, and meet regularly with the Orange County Health Care Agency to stay up to date on any changes in the county or statewide. While the stay at home order does not impact our schools and the current guidance for schools is unchanged, we fully support the message the Governor communicated to adhere to the important safety protocols. We all must come together as a community and follow the necessary actions to mitigate COVID-19 — wear a mask, avoid large gatherings, maintain social distancing. It is up to all of us to not only protect ourselves, but protect each other. We appreciate the efforts of everyone at school, work and in our personal lives to mitigate COVID-19 and thus help us keep our schools open and ensure our healthcare systems are not overwhelmed. The importance of our educational systems has never been more evident than right now. This has not been easy on anyone, but we strongly believe that what students need most right now, in addition to quality instruction, is consistency, routine, support from caring adults and a sense of normalcy, which our schools are providing. Thank you for your support, trust and dedication as we continue to provide hybrid in-person instruction amidst an ever-changing pandemic.
Source: CDM High School New