Central Unified School District trustees will consider extending the closure of schools through May 1 because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The board will hold a special meeting Thursday by teleconference, with the open session starting at 7 p.m. Board members will appear in a Zoom video teleconference broadcast on the district’s YouTube channel, as they did at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
Public comment may be made by calling 559 276-3150.
Central Unified, which has a two-week spring break, was scheduled to resume classes April 20. The resolution the trustees will consider would extend the closure by another week but also give Superintendent Andy Alvarado the authority to open schools earlier if conditions warranted an earlier opening and after consultation with federal, state, and local officials.
The resolution also gives Alvarado the authority to modify work schedules and to declare a local emergency and assign district employees, in their capacity as disaster service workers, to disaster service activities.

First District To Extend

Central is the first Fresno school district to consider extending its schools closure. Spokeswomen for Fresno and Clovis unified school districts said this week that the districts have made no decision about changing the scheduled April 14 reopening after Spring Break.
Kelly Avants, the spokeswoman for Clovis Unified, said Wednesday the board will consider the matter at its regular board meeting next week. The trustees will be guided by the advice of local health officials when deciding when to reopen schools, she said.