Santa Cruz county schools prepare for possibility of coronavirus-related closures

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Santa Cruz County declared a local heath emergency, Wednesday in preparation for potential cases of COVID-19.

County health officials warned residents to prepare for the possibility of work and school closures should there be an outbreak of coronavirus cases in Santa Cruz County.

There have been no cases of COVID-19, and as of Tuesday no county residents have been tested for the virus. However, boarding Santa Clara county has faced a rising number of coronavirus infections, and local health officials are advising residents that the virus will likely enter Santa Cruz County.

The county board of education is making preparations for the “worst case scenario,” which they say would be school closures. School leaders are coming up with plans for how students could learn from home if any schools temporarily shut down.

“We don’t want to start thinking about it once the decision has to be made. We want to be ready,” Office of Education Superintendent Dr. Faris Sabbah said.

The idea of a closure could be a logistical nightmare for some parents.

“It definitely would be difficult. I have three children. I do work outside the home, and my husband does as well,” Santa Cruz parent Anna Bibighauss said.

If the decision was made to isolate students for their own safety, it would mean students work from electronic devices at home.

“A lot of what they do they do have it online as well so if it was just homework they were given they do have the tools to do some of that work at home,” Santa Cruz parent Maria Mercado said.

The office of education said they’d work out a situation for every family to have access to do school from home if need be.

“Making sure families have access to internet and have a devises, and so on, but again those are only contingency plans,” Sabbah said.

Amid the coronavirus concerns, the University of California is offering free online classes for public high schools in the state.

Here in Santa Cruz, parents are happy with the up-to-date information they’re getting from schools.

“I was impressed with the information they sent out already two days ago," Bibighauss said. "Every school district in the county is getting the same information, and I think that’s huge.”

There is not an exact criteria for what would lead to school closures, but it would start with a recommendation by the county health officer.