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South Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Geoff Yantz reached out to local families on Thursday with information on when the new school year will begin in the city.
In his latest correspondence, Yantz wrote the start date for 2020-2021 is August 13.
“Please be advised that schools may or may not physically reopen,” he noted. “We will continue to evaluate the relevant circumstances for our schools including budget impacts caused by the economic downturn. We will share the plans for the start of the next school year when we determine that they are safe, practical, and financially feasible.”
South Pasadena public schools have been physically closed since mid-march on account of the coronavirus pandemic.
“As California, Los Angeles, and communities including South Pasadena begin to ease stay-at-home orders, the topic of reopening schools comes up frequently,” wrote the superintendent in his message. “Please know that our leadership team is continuously researching options, collaborating with our teacher and classified associations, and developing the safest solutions for our nearly 5,500 students and employees. Keep in mind that when general guidance is publicly offered by local or state officials, it can create a false sense of direction that may not be applicable to our District.”
Yantz said before the end of this school year, the local school district will send several surveys to parents. “One of the surveys will offer the opportunity to share your feelings about various return-to-school scenarios that we are developing,” he wrote.
The superintendent, who has sent out a steady stream of letters to families with updates since the coronavirus outbreak began, concluded his message by thanking families for their commitment to the local school district, “for supporting your children in this new reality, and for helping us keep our community safe. We know that the situation is challenging.”
