Long Beach Schools Close Through Academic Year
The closure of all schools in the Long Beach Unified School District will extend through the end of the academic year, or June 11, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. School had been tentatively scheduled to resume on Monday, May 4.
“We wish we could share better news today,” LBUSD Superintendent Christopher J. Steinhauser said. “But our top priority continues to be the health and safety of our students, their families and our staff. We have made this decision in close consultation with our partnering agencies, including health departments and the Los Angeles County Office of Education.”
Due to the extended closure, graduation ceremonies will not go forward as scheduled.
“We understand the great importance of graduation events, and we are considering ways to provide alternative ceremonies,” Steinhauser said. “We will keep our school communities posted.”
While school facilities are closed, LBUSD’s recently launched Home Learning Opportunities will continue with some modifications, and the school district will continue providing free meals for children at 34 locations.
Home Learning Opportunities
LBUSD began providing Home Learning Opportunities for general and special education students and their families on Monday, March 23rd.
During school closures, students and parents can use the Home Learning Opportunities webpage to find resources specific to each school. The same webpage also can be accessed at lbschools.net/HLO. Technical support is available at that web page.
Initial lessons and resources have been developed to support students’ continued learning in their grade level and/or coursework through April 9 (the day before the planned April 10 Admission Day holiday and the planned spring recess the following week). These initial home learning opportunities are not being graded. Upon the return from spring recess on April 20, however, students will be accountable for assignments and participation. More details will be provided on grading/accountability.
“Our educators are working remotely to help students keep up their learning as best they can under these trying circumstances for all,” Steinhauser said. “We especially want to make sure that our high school seniors are prepared for success in college.”
To help families access the Internet, the school district has provided nearly 10,000 Chromebook tablets in recent days to students who need the devices at home. That’s in addition to more than 20,000 used Chromebooks provided to students to keep for home use last fall. Parents and guardians who still need to borrow a Chromebook for their child can make an appointment with their school to arrange for Chromebook pickup. Schools also are providing families information on accessing low-cost Internet at home, and hard-copy lesson packets available for students who need them.
Free Meals
During the school closures, LBUSD’s free meal service will continue for children ages 1 to 18 at these locations: Addams, Avalon, Birney, Bixby, Burbank, Chavez, Dooley, Emerson, Gant, Garfield, Gompers, Grant, Harte, Henry, Herrera, King, Lafayette, Lincoln, Lindbergh, Longfellow, MacArthur, Marshall, McKinley, Muir, Riley, Rogers, Roosevelt, Signal Hill, Smith, Stevenson, Twain, Washington, Whittier and Willard. View a map of LBUSD school locations here or at lbschools.net under ABOUT > Map.
More Information
Further information will be coming from schools and will be communicated through various means, including the lbschools.net/coronavirus website, individual school websites, email, text, phone messages and social media. Parents can update their contact information and preferred methods of contact through ParentVue, which is available under PARENTS at lbschools.net.
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