SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — St. Augustine High School, an all-boys Catholic school in North Park, has filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials to allow the school to reopen for in-person instruction.
The school says that after holding its summer school and athletic programs in-person for more than 400 students without any reports of COVID-19 cases, they are seeking to stop the state's enforcement against in-person classes during the pandemic this fall.
"At Saints, we don’t believe remote learning is sufficient to provide a quality education our students are entitled to and our families have come to expect," said Principal James Horne. "We are confident we can open our school safely, consistent with CDC and San Diego County health guidance. We ran a safe and successful summer school program and believe it is an indicator that we can safely return to school in the fall."
The school says it adhered to the county's public health guidelines and safety measures during its summer programs, including required to face masks, social distancing requirements, air conditioning systems using UV lights to sanitize the air, and buildings and classrooms being regularly sanitized with an electrostatic disinfecting mist system.
St. Augustine also said a distance learning option would still be offered for families who don't want to send their children back to school in-person.
"After appeals from many families to return to the classroom, Saints is pursuing the best way to offer opportunities that are the right fit for all its students and families," the school said.
