The Board of Education for the second-largest school district in California authorized an emergency resolution Tuesday to give decision-making power to the San Diego Unified School District superintendent in case of a coronavirus outbreak.
The SDUSD Board of Education voted unanimously on the last-minute emergency agenda item, which gives Superintendent Cindy Marten the power to make decisions when it comes to ensuring the health and safety o students and staff.
Under the emergency resolution, the superintendent would be allowed to take actions like relocating students and staff, determining alternative educational program options, directing staff to serve disaster service workers, among others.
"This resolution is designed to have this district prepared for when and if we need to make significant changes in how we deliver education to our students in relation to the coronavirus," Board President John Lee Evans said.
Marten would not need to present decisions as agenda items to the board and would be allowed to respond to emergency conditions at district sites "for any dollar amount necessary," according to the resolution presented ahead of the vote.
“I just wanted to thank the Board for taking this extraordinary action for this extraordinary situation that we’re in," Marten said after the resolution passed. "I appreciate this very much, thank you."
Meanwhile, the state of California's Department of Education was granted Tuesday a special waiver that would allow school districts utilizing summer food programs to provide meals to students during coronavirus-related closures.
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Colleges and universities began taking their own precautions in case of a coronavirus outbreak. Both San Diego State University and UC San Diego joined several other California Colleges in moving in-person classes online.
The new coronavirus known as COVID-19 has infected more than 800 people in the U.S. and killed at least 29.
