Clovis Unified Superintendent Says Schools Should Stay Closed

Superintendent Eimear O’Farrell

Clovis Unified School District Superintendent Eimear O’Farrell is recommending that trustees extend school closings through the end of the school year on June 5 because of the continued health threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

O’Farrell’s recommendation will be considered by trustees at Wednesday’s board meeting.

While other area school districts opted early on to keep schools closed through the end of the school year, the Clovis Unified trustees were determined to leave open the option of reopening schools.

At the May 6 board meeting when trustees voted to keep schools closed only through May 22, they adamantly refused to “throw in the towel” by pushing the closing through the end of the school year.

Related Story: Schools Face Prospect of Layoffs, Furloughs as State Budget Gets Slashed

State, Fresno Orders Still in Place

But O’Farrell notes that the city of Fresno’s shelter-in-place order is still in effect through the end of the month, and the state’s similar order has not been lifted .

Clovis Unified will use the final weeks of school for end-of-year activities such as textbook returns and students picking up belongings, and will provide schedules so students can maintain social distancing for safety.

The board meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. and can be accessed online at https://www.youtube.com/user/clovisusd/feed.

BOARD 2020 05 20 Res No 3763 Regarding Continuing Actions in Response to COVID 19 (1) (Text)