Commentary: Why closing San Diego Unified was not an easy decision for us

By Cindy Marten

San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Cindy Marten(U-T)

Schools are important, but the science on COVID-19 is clear.

California has now entered a critical new phase in the fight to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The virus is present in our communities, and we all must work together to prevent its spread. These facts formed the basis of the decision this week by San Diego Unified, Los Angeles Unified and other districts across the state to close our schools. In San Diego Unified, schools will remain closed through April 6.

Not much is more important to a community than its schools. It’s where our children go to learn, play and grow. So although this decision was not an easy one, we feel it’s the right one. We made the decision based on science and in partnership with our colleagues from the world of education.
The science on COVID-19 is clear.

​Those communities that took sweeping action to prevent its spread have fared better than those that waited for the pandemic to take hold. Although very few possible cases of coronavirus have been reported in San Diego County so far, we’ve learned from the experiences of other states and countries that getting out ahead of this virus as much as possible can help contain it.

We made our decision to close in concert with the San Diego Office of Education, Los Angeles Unified and many other districts throughout the state. Together, we concluded (as did every other district in the county) that closing schools is the best way to proactively protect against what Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.

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