SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — La Mesa-Spring Valley School District officials have postponed the district's planned reopening date, citing concerns that San Diego County will soon be placed in the state's most restrictive reopening tier.
The district's reopening has been moved from Oct. 12 for hybrid learning to the week of Nov. 30, according to the district. The hybrid learning plan will bring small groups of students to in-person classes two days a week.
LMSV said the decision was based on the county's potential rollback into California's purple reopening tier and the district's proximity to the College Area, where cases linked to San Diego State have steadily increased since school resumed on Aug. 24.
RELATED: Supervisors to discuss reopening options if San Diego moves into more restrictive tier
The district called SDSU's case increase "particularly concerning."
"We decided to postpone our reopening date after learning the county would likely be downgraded to tier 1 on the state COVID-19 tier system. The outbreaks at SDSU are particularly concerning due to the fact that many SDSU students live in our community and work at our schools. SDSU is our community. We felt it was best to err on the side of caution and postpone our reopening date in the hopes that the outbreaks subside," the district said in a statement to ABC 10News.
"We want nothing more than to welcome students back on campus, but we must ensure that it is safe to do so. The last thing we want is for our schools to open only to close again."
RELATED: What happens if San Diego County moves to California's most restrictive tier
In a letter to parents, the district extended its "learning options survey" to allow families to vote on their preference between hybrid or 100% online classes.
County public health officials reported a 7.9 case rate over the last week, putting the region on track to the state's most restrictive reopening tier. County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said Tuesday that without SDSU's cases factored into the case rate, the county would not qualify to move back into the purple tier.
Wooten has said that even if the county moves back, schools will still be permitted to hold in-person classes.
