The Orange County California Board of Education approved its recommendations Monday for reopening of schools in the fall. The board voted 4-1 to approve a set of guidelines for schools to follow, including regular temperature checks, frequent hand washing, and extensive cleanings of classrooms, offices, and buses.
However, the board did not require the use of masks or social distancing. In fact, she advised against the measures.
“Requiring children to wear masks during school is not only difficult, but impossible to implement, but not based on science. It can even be harmful and is therefore not recommended,” he said.
The board noted that these recommendations were merely guidelines, not “laws” or “even rules.” It will be up to individual school districts how they want to get their students back to class in person.
If a school district decides not to reopen or resume classes in a “typical classroom environment and school environment,” the board says that parents should be allowed to send their children to another school district or charter school.
The board emphasized its belief that schools should reopen in the fall.
The board called remote learning a “total failure” and said that “leaving the classroom in favor of computer learning was frustrating for everyone, not only for parents and students, but also for teachers.”
But while the group said facial liners or physical distance were a lower priority for younger children, it recommended that middle and high school students should wear facial liners when a distance of 6 feet cannot be maintained.
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