Milpitas Schools returning to distance learning for at least a week

MILPITAS, Calif. - Bay Area school districts are scrambling to hold classes while dealing with a surge in COVID-19 cases among students and staff.

Milpitas Unified School District announced that it will return to distance learning, by starting with a 10-day quarantine until January 18, following the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

About 167 teacher absences went unfilled this week, causing classes to condense, and forcing educators and other school staff to supervise many more students than before.

Parents are being asked not to travel or attend large gatherings at this time.

Although classes will be held remotely. Students can still go to campuses for Wi-Fi, if they have trouble at home connecting to online lessons, or there is no adult supervision at home.

But some public health advocates say in-person school remains the safest and best approach for students.

"We've learned that in-person education is what they need and remote learning does not support mental health, emotional health, and academic well-being nearly the way in person learning does," said Sara Cody, MD, Santa Clara County Public Health Officer.

The Santa Clara Office of Education says the option for remote learning ended last June, when California's distance learning statute ended.

Milpitas Schools say they are trying to keep everyone safe, and that some district board members are raising the possibility of bringing back a hybrid instruction model.