Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Most local school districts to be closed indefinitely during pandemic

When local school districts first announced temporary closures as part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, they expected the closures to only last until sometime next month, with Fallbrook, Bonsall and Rainbow schools variously announcing reopening dates in early-to-mid-April.

But Tuesday, March 17, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was uncertain if schools would be able to reopen at all before the current school year ends in June.

After that statement, school districts in northern San Diego County began to move away from their previously announced restart dates. The original restart dates remained listed on the San Diego County Office of Education website for a time but had been completely removed by March 26.

Fallbrook Union Elementary School District, which had planned to open April 10, is no longer following that date, Seth Trench, the district representative, said.

"You may have heard recently that California Gov. Gavin Newsom shared his opinion that schools may not reopen this school year. We understand this information is unsettling, but as of now, the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District has no definitive date on when schools will reopen," Candace Singh superintendent of FUESD, said in an email sent to parents, provided to Village News by Trench.

"All decisions about reopening will be made in conjunction with local public health officials," Singh said.

The superintendent told parents that digital and paper-based learning resources are available for students to utilize while schools are closed, and that the district is "developing a streamlined process for families to check out a Chromebook for home use during school closures."

Fallbrook Union High School District now has also abandoned its previously planned reopening date.

"Our goal was to reopen April 14, 2020. Unfortunately, FUHSD schools are closed indefinitely," Ilsa Garza-Gonzalez, superintendent of FUHSD, told Village News in an email. "We will reopen following guidance from the Department of Public Health, governmental agencies orders and San Diego County Office of Education."

Garza-Gonzalez said the teachers are providing enrichment learning opportunities through Google Classroom and in packet form, and that the district is developing a distance learning plan to launch April 14 if schools do not reopen.

She said it's unclear whether graduations and other end-of-year events will continue as scheduled.

"We are committed to ensuring that our seniors and their families celebrate their accomplishments," Garza-Gonzalez said. "Our board of education approved Grad Night for our seniors for the end of May in the event we are back to business as usual and it is safe for them to attend. Prom is also pending as are other end of year celebrations."

Bonsall Unified School District's superintendent told parents March 23 that district officials no longer are planning to reopen campuses April 6.

"With information from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and guidance from the San Diego County Office of Education, I am removing any date to resume school," Superintendent David Jones said in the email. "All BUSD schools will remain closed until further notice. All decisions about reopening schools will be made in conjunction with local public health officials."

For now, Vallecitos School District, the elementary school district that serves Rainbow, is the only local district that is still planning to reopen next month.

On March 30, Maritza Koeppen, superintendent and principal of Vallecitos School District, said her district is still planning to reopen April 14, "until we know otherwise."

Fallbrook schools are continuing to provide free meals to all children 18 and under during the school closures. Bonsall, which does not have a similar program, is encouraging families to utilize the Fallbrook elementary and high school districts' nutrition services.

FUESD canceled meal distribution programs at William H. Frazier Elementary School and James E. Potter Jr. High School due to low demand, but the district is continuing to serve meals three days a week at three locations, providing families with two days of meals at a time "to ensure healthy, consistent meals for all children Monday through Friday."

FUESD is providing meals Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at the following locations:

● Maie Ellis Elementary School, 400 W. Elder St., Fallbrook, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

● La Paloma Elementary School, 300 Heald Lane, Fallbrook, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

● San Onofre School, 200 Pate Road, San Clemente, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

● Mary Fay Pendleton School, 110 Marine Drive, Oceanside, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

● De Luz School House, 40153 De Luz-Murrieta Road, noon to 1 p.m.

FUHSD, meanwhile, is providing meals to all children under the age of 18 at the main entrance to Fallbrook Union High School, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. The district is also delivering meals seven days a week using its typical daily school bus routes. FUHSD's bus route schedules for meal delivery are as follows:

Bus 1

Olive Hill Road/Rancho Bonito Road, 11 a.m.

Morro Hills Road/San Jacinto Circle 11:02 a.m.

Sleeping Indian Road/Verde Avenue 11:05 a.m.

Sleeping Indian Road/Burma Road 11:07 a.m.

Olive Hill Road/Whitehorse Lane 11:10 a.m.

Via Monserate/Ramona Drive 11:21 a.m.

Linda Vista Drive/Vista Corona 11:23 a.m.

Alta Vista Drive/Palomar Drive 11:27 a.m.

Via Encino Drive/El Nido Drive 11:30 a.m.

Bus 2

5755 Rainbow Heights Road 11 a.m.

5843 Rainbow Heights Road 11:02 a.m.

W. Rainbow Heights Road/E. Rainbow Heights Road 11:09 a.m.

920 Rainbow Crest 11:12 a.m.

1030 Rice Canyon Road 11:20 a.m.

1806 Rice Canyon Road 11:25 a.m.

Rainbow County Park (Huffstatler) 11:30 a.m.

Rainbow Valley Boulevard/Chica Street 11:35 a.m.

3013 Rainbow Valley Blvd. 11:36 a.m.

Old Highway 395/Rainbow Glen 11:40 a.m.

Bus 3

El Mirlo Drive/Rena Drive 11 a.m.

Vandegrift Boulevard/Douglas Drive 11:06 a.m.

Papagallo Drive/Lorikeet Street 11:11 a.m.

Vandegrift Boulevard/N. River Road 11:17 a.m.

N. River Road/Holly Lane 11:24 a.m.

S. Mission Road/Baja Mission 11:36 a.m.

Bus 4

Valley Oaks Trailer Park on Reche Road 11 a.m.

Garron Lane/Bay Morgan Lane 11:10 a.m.

Garron Lane/Gold Palomino Way 11:12 a.m.

Gold Palomino Way/Spotted Saddle Way 11:14 a.m.

Shearer Crossing/Pankey Road 11:19 a.m.

Dulin Road/Lake Circle Drive 11:22 a.m.

Highway 76 park-and-ride lot 11:24 a.m.

Gird Road/Sarah Ann Dr. 11:30 a.m.

Gird Road/California Koi Farms 11:32 a.m.

Gird Road/Oak Cliff Drive 11:33 a.m.

Gird Road/Lake Tree Drive 11:34 a.m.

Gird Road/Nuestra Lane 11:35 a.m.

Gird Road/Live Oak Park 11:36 a.m.

Bus 5

38053 De Luz Road (4-mile marker) 11 a.m.

De Luz Road/Daily Road 11:02 a.m.

Daily Road/American Road 11:07 a.m.

Daily Road (Jones mailboxes) 11:09 a.m.

De Luz Road (8-mile marker) 11:14 a.m.

Garnseys 11:22 a.m.

Rock Mountain Drive/Via El Dorado noon

Gavilon/Via Ranchitos 12:05 a.m.

Dougherty Street/De Luz Road 12:10 a.m.

Bus 6

Marine Drive/Wonsan Drive 11 a.m.

De Luz Road/Pusan Drive 11:10 a.m.

Los Padres Drive (O'Neill housing) 11:20 a.m.

E. Barnett Circle/Elliot Street 11:30 a.m.

Will Fritz can be reached by email at [email protected].

 

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