California public school system to remain closed for remainder of academic year

Culver City public schools will close for the remainder of the year following direction from Governor Gavin Newsom and the decision from Los Angeles superintendent Dr. Debra Duardo for schools in L.A. county to do the same, according to a press release from Culver City superintendent Leslie Lockhart.

As of April 7, Los Angeles County has confirmed 6,910 cases of COVID-19 including 169 deaths. 27 of those cases belong to Culver City, according to data from the Los Angeles County Public Health Department. The data indicates that the bend is slightly starting to curve, however, this indication depicts both a sense of optimism and why a reinforced attitude of stepping up measures to fight COVID-19 are highly important as the curve shows signs of bending, according to Governor Newsom. 

“Let me give you a sense of optimism in terms of the curve in California bending. It is bending but also stretching,” Newsom said at a news press conference on April 7. 

“That is not to suggest by any stretch of the imagination that we’ll continue to see these declines. It’s to only reinforce the importance of maintaining physical distancing and continuing our stay at home policy that has helped bend the curve in the state of California.”

Public schools offer many resources that students depend on, in which the Culver City Unified School District plans to continue providing “grab-and-go” lunches for students that receive district-provided lunches from Monday through Friday despite the schools’ closures. Students can receive these lunches at the following three locations:

Culver City High School cafeteria — 10:30 a.m to 12 p.m.

La Ballona Elementary School — 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Office of Child Development parking lot — 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The possibility of graduation ceremonies taking place for the semester are currently being discussed as the COVID-19 situation unravels, according to Lockhart in the press release.

For more information, contact the Culver City Unified School District at 310-842-4220.