Dear Los Altos School District Community, 

This morning, our Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting, granting me the authority to close our schools in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 

Following the Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD) announcement at noon today placing far greater limits on all community gatherings and in conjunction with the Santa Clara County Office of Education directive to close all schools, the Los Altos School District (LASD) will close beginning Monday, March 16.  Our schools plan to reopen on Monday, April 13, unless circumstances dictate the District to remain closed.  During this time, the District Office will remain open. 

The SCCPHD has reported that COVID-19 may be present in the County for months to come. LASD has developed plans to operate in a manner that complies with all applicable public health guidance, so that we can reopen as soon as feasible. 

The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and their families is front of mind during the public health emergency of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Our community is facing an unprecedented health crisis with new information surfacing rapidly. 

We recognize that school closures will be a hardship for many of our families and staff.  Our schools are a vital service for our community and we will do all that we can to help minimize the social disruption that school closure is likely to create. 

Student Nutrition
We will be partnering with Mountain View-Whisman, Mountain View-Los Altos High School District and other community resources to share food distribution services. Please stay tuned for specifics as we iron out the particular details of this arrangement.

Remote Teaching and Learning Plan
Our amazing team of educators is prepared for this moment with a plan for remote teaching and learning.  Early next week, you will receive instructions to ensure that you and your child are prepared for learning at home, as well as a road map for the initiation of our remote learning program.  We will work with our families to ensure that all families have the computers and wifi access they need to continue their children’s education from home.  

Wi-Fi
Our IT department has been diligently working to secure Wi-Fi hotspots for students who may lack internet at home so they may have access to online learning resources. Comcast has already offered to provide their Internet Essentials plan to low-income families at no cost for 60 days. They are also increasing internet speeds for existing customers to help accommodate the anticipated greater demand at home.  If your family needs a device and/or internet access, please let your school know immediately so that we can contact you as resources are identified.

Social Distancing to Stay Healthy
We ask all members of our community to join us in doing all we can to prevent the spread of illness by practicing social distancing and taking other measures as advised by the CDC and the SCCPHD, which has a very helpful and regularly updated FAQ.

Students should stay home and minimize social contact as much as possible to keep caregivers and adult family members safe. While children have not been shown to be a high-risk group for serious illness from this virus, they can transmit the virus to those most vulnerable. Public health officials recommend that families make arrangements for childcare during closure that avoid leaving children with elderly people who are more vulnerable to serious illness. 

Keeping You Informed
We know that our schools are an important source of information regarding matters such as the COVID-19 global pandemic.  We will continue to keep our community apprised of health recommendations as the situation evolves.  

LASD Staff Is Here to Help
While your children will not be in our classrooms during the school closures, our staff will be hard at work to ensure all students receive the best education possible under these very challenging circumstances.  Our teachers, principals and staff are here to help and can provide you information you may need during this crisis. Please contact your principal or me if you need assistance. 

I appreciate your partnership in navigating these unprecedented times for our schools, our district, and our community.

Sincerely, 
Jeffrey Baier
Superintendent
Los Altos School District