On Wednesday, March 25th, the Alameda County Office of Education sent out a press release stating that all Bay Area schools will remain closed and students dismissed through May 1st to prioritize safety and wellness for the districts and families. 

“As much as it sucks to not be able to come back to school this year, it’s in everyone’s best interest to stay home. I’d rather have nobody at school and let the curve flatten than have people come to school and run the risk of things getting worse,” said Maddie Dutra (‘20).

However, Tuesday during a Fox News Town Hall, President Donald Trump stated that he would like the U.S. to be opened by Easter Sunday, a day that is a little more than two weeks away.

The President’s statement creates dissonance between what the government intends to do with what school districts nationwide are enforcing. As there is no clear answer in sight, we can expect to see changes to President Trump’s statements as the days continue.

Although this extension on the school dismissal may be a disappointment to students, PUSD students are lucky to live in such an affluent area and have the ability to continue online learning throughout the entirety of the school dismissal. For the time being, PUSD students will continue to receive grades for all their classwork done online, along with receiving support and tools to prepare for the AP Exams, which have been altered to an online format due to the current situation.

The press release mentions the “Shelter in Place” orders and lists ways to avoid any illness, such as washing hands regularly and staying active even during the quarantine.

Many Amador students understand the dire effects of the coronavirus and respect the extension of the school dismissal.

“I miss my friends from school, but I know how serious the situation is and hope we all stay home to prevent the spread of the virus,” said Mabel Song (‘22).

It is unclear as to whether or not the county-wide school dismissal will continue until the end of the school year, but as for now, PUSD is preparing for students to continue remote learning until May 1.