All Ventura County Schools to Begin New Year with Only Distance Learning

Following the release of new state guidelines announced today by Governor Gavin Newsom, all Ventura County school districts and charter schools will begin the new school year using distance learning without bringing students back to their campuses. The new guidance comes a day after most Ventura County schools had already committed to beginning the year with distance learning in support of the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the new state guidance, schools cannot reopen their campuses until the county in which they are located has been off the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list for 14 consecutive days.** Ventura County is one of 32 California counties currently on the list. The guidance applies to both public and private schools.

“We appreciate this confirmation from the Governor that bringing students back to campus in our current environment is too great of a risk to take,” said Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Stan Mantooth. “We know that distance learning can never fully substitute for the exchange of knowledge and social support that takes place in schools, but it is the most prudent way for us to provide education while the coronavirus continues to surge in Ventura County.”

Local schools are now focused on optimizing their plans to deliver high-quality distance learning. Since school campuses abruptly closed in March, local educators have been refining their distance learning offerings based on extensive feedback from students, parents and teachers. They’ve also been working to ensure that all students who need it have access to computers and connections to the internet. The Ventura County Office of Education is collaborating with school districts on curriculum development and technology support to maximize the effectiveness of distance learning for local students. Most Ventura County school districts intend to continue providing school meals while campuses are closed.

Ventura County school districts and charter schools will be providing additional details about their plans for the new school year to their communities. A list of school district websites is available here and a list of local charter school websites is available here.

For the latest updates on the impact of the coronavirus on Ventura County public schools, including distance learning resources and information about meal service and child care, please visit the Ventura County Office of Education website at www.vcoe.org.

All Ventura County school districts and charter schools will begin the 2020-2021 school year with only distance learning.

VENTURA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS

• Briggs School District

• Conejo Valley Unified School District

• Fillmore Unified School District

• Hueneme Elementary School District

• Las Virgenes Unified School District *

• Mesa Union School District

• Moorpark Unified School District

• Mupu Elementary School District

• Oak Park Unified School District

• Ocean View School District

• Ojai Unified School District

• Oxnard School District (K-8)

• Oxnard Union High School District

• Pleasant Valley School District

• Rio School District

• Santa Clara Elementary School District

• Santa Paula Unified School District

• Simi Valley Unified School District

• Somis Union School District

• Ventura County Office of Education

• Ventura Unified School District

VENTURA COUNTY CHARTER SCHOOLS

• Architecture, Construction & Engineering Charter High School

• Bridges Charter School

• Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education

• Golden Valley Charter School

• Ivy Tech Charter School

• Meadows Arts and Technology Elementary School

• River Oaks Academy

• University Preparation Charter School

• Valley Oak Charter School

• Ventura Charter School

• Vista Real Charter High School

* Las Virgenes Unified School District is based in Los Angeles County, but serves a portion of Ventura County.

About the Ventura County Office of Education

The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org.

**County by county data monitoring of elevated disease transmission, increasing hospitalization and limited hospital capacity at www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID19CountyDataTable.aspx

Framework for Reopening Ventura County Schools is Released

Yesterday, the Ventura County Office of Education released a document intended to help local public schools prepare for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The Framework for Reopening Ventura County Schools was prepared by the Ventura County Office of Education in consultation with Ventura County Public Health and the county’s school districts and charter schools.

The document includes requirements and guidelines based on the latest information from state and local public health officials. It aims to provide schools with maximum flexibility on how they will function during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic while keeping the health and safety of students and employees a top priority.

“The coming school year is going to be unlike any other we have experienced before,” said Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Stan Mantooth. “Our school leaders and teachers have done a tremendous job adapting to continually changing circumstances. I am confident they will make the decisions that are best for their communities with the Framework serving as a guide.”

The Framework was created by a task force led by Dr. Antonio Castro, VCOE’s Associate Superintendent for Educational Services. The task force included representatives from the Ventura County Office of Education, Ventura County Public Health and local school districts. It provides extensive information about safety protocols on school campuses and how to respond to the potential for confirmed cases of COVID-19 among students and staff.

Each school district and charter school in Ventura County is deciding independently what combination of in-class and distance learning they plan to offer for the new school year. They are each developing their own reopening plans that will be submitted to the Ventura County Office of Education for review.

The Framework is a ‘living document’ that will be updated as conditions change. The latest version of the Framework is attached and updated versions will be posted at www.vcoe.org/coronavirus.

LINK TO PDF COPY OF JULY 10 DOCUMENT

City of Ventura Announces that the Statue of Father Junipero Serra to be Moved to Non-Public Location

News release from City of Ventura on June 18, 2020 regarding statue of Father Junipero Serra in front of City Hall:

Dear City of Ventura Residents and Community Stakeholders,

In the last few days, we have seen a groundswell of support from some members of the community requesting that the City of Ventura remove the statue of Father Junipero Serra from its location near City Hall. To that end, Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere organized a meeting with representatives from the Barbareño/ Ventureño Band of Mission Indians (Chumash) and Father Tom Elewaut of Mission San Buenaventura. This meeting resulted in a friendly, collaborative, and honest dialogue where everyone recognized that the time for action is now.

The three of us are confident that a peaceful resolution regarding the Father Junipero Serra statue can be reached, without uncivil discourse and character assassination, much less vandalism of a designated landmark. As stated by Julie Tumamait Stenslie, the Tribal Chair of the Barbareño/ Ventureño Band of Mission Indians: “True conversation starts with an open heart and mind. Change comes when there is no judgement or assumptions. To listen to and to be heard is crucial.”

We have listened and we have heard the calls from those in the community and believe the time has come for the statue to be taken down and moved to a more appropriate non-public location. But a historic decision such as this must involve the Ventura City Council, the voices of the Chumash tribe and residents of Ventura. It is our priority to be receptive to community concerns and provide an environment where all voices are heard and respected. To honor the cultural heritage of Ventura and its earliest residents is our ultimate goal.

We all believe that the removal of the statue should be accomplished without force, without anger, and through a collaborative, peaceful process. This process has already commenced through our initial meeting and we look forward to continuing the discussion with the community to help guide further action on this.

The public will be invited to engage in this process and share their input. When a community discussion has been scheduled to discuss the Father Junipero Serra statue, this information will be shared openly and transparently by the City of Ventura.

The letter was signed by Matt LaVere, Mayor of Ventura, Father Tom Elewaut and Tribal Chair Julie Tumamait Stenslie.

www.cityofventura.ca.gov

Bank of America Performing Arts Center Will Remain Closed for Live Events Until Jan. 2021

The City of Thousand Oaks announced today that The Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Thousand Oaks (BAPAC) will remain closed for live events until January 2021.

All programs that are on the calendar through December will be rescheduled. All patrons will be notified as soon as the new dates are confirmed. If a show must cancel, patrons will be notified of refund options.

When performances resume in January, the building will have been without live performances for 41 weeks. This unprecedented dark period is a direct result of the prolonged safety and health concerns arising from COVID-19. Although the venue will not hold live events with audiences, the theatres may be used for potential filming and streaming opportunities without live audiences.

BAPAC is one of the largest performing arts centers between Los Angeles and San Francisco and is funded through a unique public/private partnership between the City of Thousand Oaks and Thousand Oaks Alliance for the Arts (TOARTS). It consists of the 1,800-seat Fred Kavli Theatre for the Performing Arts and the 394-seat Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre, which combine outstanding arts and entertainment with state-of-the-art technology and acoustics. Historically, over 200,000 patrons and 50,000 school children attend more than 300 performances annually.

For more information and updates as they occur, please visit our website at www.BAPACthousandoaks.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. For ticketing questions, please call the box office at 805 449 2787.

California Department of Public Health Mandates the Use of Face Coverings

Today the California Department of Health provided updated guidance for the use of face coverings to fight the spread of COVID-19:

The guidance mandates that face coverings be worn statewide in the following circumstances, with certain exceptions:. It does not substitute for existing guidance about social distancing and hand washing.

People in California must wear face coverings when they are in the high-risk situations listed below:

• Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space (unless exempted by state guidelines for specific public settings like school or childcare centers)

• Obtaining services from the healthcare sector in settings including, but not limited to, a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic, or blood bank;

• Waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle;

• Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site, when:

• Interacting in-person with any member of the public;

• Working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time;

• Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;

• Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities;

• In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance.

• Driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, or private car service or ride-sharing vehicle when passengers are present. When no passengers are present, face coverings are strongly recommended.

• While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of 6 feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible.

The following individuals are exempt from wearing a face covering:

• Persons age two years or under. These very young children must not wear a face covering because of the risk of suffocation.

• Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance.

• Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.

• Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.

• Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service.

• Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence.

• Persons who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or with household members, and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others.

• Persons who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails, as part of their mitigation plans, will have specific guidance on the wearing of face coverings or masks for both inmates and staff.

Note: Persons exempted from wearing a face covering due to a medical condition who are employed in a job involving regular contact with others should wear a non-restrictive alternative, such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom edge, as long as their condition permits it.

More information at covid19.ca.gov.

Los Angeles County Curfew Times During Demonstrations

For our Conejo Valley friends in the City of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu and other Los Angeles County residents, here is a compilation of nightly curfews issued by the County of Los Angeles in recent days.

• June 4th to June 5th: No curfew

• 9PM June 3rd to 5AM June 4th

• 6PM June 2nd to 6AM June 3rd

• 6PM June 1st to 6AM June 2nd

• 6PM May 31st to 6AM June 1st

The curfew includes all cities in Los Angeles County. Traveling to/from work, seeking or giving emergency care and emergency responders are exempt. More information available at lacounty.gov/emergency.

Individual cities may have more restrictive curfews in place.

Other updates at www.facebook.com/countyofla.

Hair Salons and Barbershops May Apply to Reopen Tomorrow in Ventura County

Via Pexels (Photo credit: Gratisography)

Governor Newsom announced today that hair salons and barbershops in most California counties can reopen as the state moves forward on the path to reopening. The County of Ventura was approved for a state variance last week allowing the County to move faster through California’s reopening phases

Hair salons and barbershops that reopen may only provide services that allow for both the stylist and customer to wear face coverings for the entirety of the service. This means that haircuts, weaves and extensions, braiding, lock and wig maintenance, hair relaxing treatments and color services can be provided.

Services like eyebrow waxing and threading, facials and eyelash services are still not allowed since they involve touching the customer’s face, according to the state’s guidance

vcemergency.com

County of Ventura Approved for Accelerated Reopening: Dine In and In Store Shopping Will Be Permitted Starting May 21st

The County of Ventura is the first and largest Southern California County to receive approval from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to move forward on an accelerated Stage 2 path to reopening. With this approval, Ventura County restaurants can now offer dine-in options and all retail businesses with exterior facing entrances are permitted to have customers inside of their stores.

Given increased statewide and local capacity to respond to COVID-19, including stronger preparedness, continued stability in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, as well as increased ability to provide personal protective equipment to workers in essential sectors, the State announced the new attestation opportunity for counties to move through Stage 2, opening additional sectors of their economy at their own pace. The modified State guidance was issued by the Governor on Monday, May 18.

Regular Stage 2 has included curbside retail, manufacturing and supply chain businesses. The Governor has allowed counties that apply and qualify for a variance to move further along into Stage 2 with seated dining. The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ratify the attestation on Tuesday, May 19 at the regularly scheduled Board meeting. It was submitted to the State on that same day. The State provided approval in less than 24 hours.

To qualify for the variance, counties must attest that hospitalization and test positivity rates are stable or declining; that they have a significant level of preparedness with testing, contact tracing, PPE and hospital surge; and that they have adequate plans related to county-wide containment.

Criteria also includes 1) the rate of positive Covid-19 patients hospitalized cannot be greater than 5% in the last 7 days. The County of Ventura is at -3.4% in the past 7 days. 2) Positive test results for the last 14 days can be no greater than 8% and our local number is 3.5%.

Restaurants and retail must register at www.vcreopens.com and follow the guidance. Learn more about the California Resilience roadmap for state reopening at covid19.ca.gov/roadmap.

The Public Health Officer will modify the Stay Well VC Order this evening. Dine in and in store shopping will be permitted effective Thursday, May 21, 2020.

COVID-19 Industry Guidance:

Shopping Malls, Destination Shopping Centers, Strip and Outlet Malls all with exterior facing entrances are permitted to open. covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-shopping-centers.pdf

Dine-In Restaurants: covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-dine-in-restaurants.pdf

Here’s a small sampling of some of the dine-in restaurant guidelines from the state public health officer:

• Provide disposable menus to guests and make menus available digitally to be viewed on a smartphone, if possible. If not possible, properly disinfect menus before and after customer use.

• Do not leave out after-meal mints, candies, snacks or toothpicks for customers. Offer them with the check or provide only on request.

• Reconfigure dining areas to allow for at least six feet of physical distancing for customers and employees.

• Bar areas shall remain closed.

• Face coverings strongly encouraged for all employees, but required for any employee who must be within six feet of customers (e.g. server, manager, busser).

• Guests should enter through doors that are propped open or automated, if possible. Hand sanitizer should be available for guests who must touch door handles.

• Visitors should bring and wear a face covering when not eating and drinking.

This guidance is for dine-in restaurants and brewpubs, breweries, bars, pubs and wineries that that provide sit-down meals.