Better Ask Barry: Do schools lose funds when they are forced to close?
School closures are a local decision, based on number of factors.
“We want our students to be in class as often as possible, so we don’t close without a good reason,” said Alicia Jimenez, spokesperson for Pajaro Valley Unified School District.
On Monday, PVUSD closed six schools: Aptos High School, Aptos Jr. High, Valencia, Rio Del Mar, Calabasas, and Bradley.
School officials say the safety of students and staff is their first consideration.
Other factors include transportation — can students safely get there?
Do restrooms and water fountains work?
Is there adequate natural light?
Can school food programs operate?
“Some of our sites do have solar power that is running their kitchen, so they are able to heat food, but others are only serving cold and room temperature food,” said Jessica Hull.
Schools that remain open are visited by the Monterey County Health Department to check on food safety.
Schools typically notify parents of a closure via text message. Districts also spread the word over social media.
The Monterey County Office of Education’s website has information on school closures on its home page. The list of affected schools is updated on a regular basis.
On Monday, it listed 19 schools that could be affected by the power shutoff. Three schools, in Chualar, Gonzales, and Soledad, were closed.
Schools receive some of their funding based on Average Daily Attendance, or ADA. Emergency closures do not affect state funding.
“They apply for a waiver with the California Department of Education, and they still receive those ADA funds,” said Hull.
Unlike snow days in other parts of the country, school can apply for another CDE waiver, so lost instructional hours do not have to be made up at the end of the year.
