The top educators in the Santa Clara Unified School District were quarantined after an attendee of a 45-person face-to-face meeting tested positive for coronavirus, school officials reported, and now parents, teachers, and administrators are wondering why. the meeting was held in -person.
After principals and administrators met in late June to develop reopening plans for the fall, an educator was confirmed to have COVID-19, Superintendent Stella Kemp told the school board last week. Since then, everyone at the meeting has been quarantined, with no new cases linked to the exposure, and attendees were screened for the virus.
“I know there may be some doubt about every decision we make, but the reality is that there is no roadmap for this pandemic,” said Kemp. “Our county health officials, whom we trust for information and guidance, also face this reality.”
Everyone at the meeting examined for symptoms before arriving, wore face masks, and maintained a distance of six feet. The meeting place, inside, has been cleaned and disinfected, Kemp said.
Still, school district administrators expressed strong concerns about the possible exposure and questioned why an in-person meeting was held. Because Santa Clara County guidelines limit outdoor gatherings to 25 people, Trustee Vickie Fairchild said she received “panic” calls from educators given that about 45 people attended.
“I can’t imagine being a person at that meeting and being exposed,” Fairchild said. “I can’t imagine if you had health problems … I want administrators to know that I want them to be healthy.”
“If we have trouble keeping our staff safe, that doesn’t send a good message for our families,” added trustee Jodi Muirhead.
The meeting was first reported by the NBC Bay Area. Spokeswoman Jennifer Derrico said in a statement Thursday that the initial report was “completely inaccurate,” but did not specify why or respond to multiple requests for explanation.
Stan Garber, the principal at Cabrillo Middle School in Santa Clara who retired this week, said he got permission from Kemp to skip the meeting for a doctor’s appointment, but was still concerned.
“It certainly seems unwise to me to gather 40 directors and risk someone getting infected,” Garber said Thursday.
Garber said the meeting was for all principals and district office leadership.
“I am grateful that I did not attend,” he added. When asked if he felt he had dodged a bullet when he missed the meeting, Garber said “Absolutely.”
Amber Wacht, president of the United Teachers of Santa Clara, said Thursday that she attended the meeting and has since been tested and self-quarantined, but believes the meeting in person could have been avoided.
“We have had previous meetings that were held through Zoom, or online, so that meeting could have definitely happened in that capacity,” Wacht said.
“I think every time we have a meeting with such a large group, we are putting people at risk, as we saw, because we were all exposed and we had to get tested,” he added.
Wacht is concerned about a possible return to on-site teaching in the fall when groups of students and staff return, and she is not alone in feeling this way.
Kemp defended the decision to hold the meeting, noting that in-person discussions were necessary given the complexity of planning the reopening. Earlier this week, county health officials said in-person instruction is not guaranteed this fall, meaning districts and schools must plan multiple classroom scenarios, including fully remote and hybrid models.
“This is exactly the dilemma that each district faces now,” Kemp said. “We are trying to find the best way to keep our students and staff in an environment where the vast majority of things that are happening around us are beyond our control.”
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