Elk Grove Cancels All Public Schools This Week Due To Coronavirus Concerns

By kncipat on March 8, 2020

Elk Grove United School District is now California’s first and only school district to close schools due to the coronavirus. All Elk Grove public schools will be closed from March 7th through March 13th.  EGUSD has 64,000 students across 67 schools.  The week long closure means not only no school, but no school related activities.  The Junior Prom at Pleasant Grove High School was cancelled.  The playoff basketball game for Sheldon High School was cancelled.  There’s no word yet on if and when those two events will be rescheduled.

The decision was made Friday night and announced yesterday.  According to a letter from EGUSD Superintendent Christopher Hoffman, an Elk Grove family was put in quarantine because of testing positive for the virus.  The statement is not clear on whether or not the child in this family, who does attend an Elk Grove Public School, also tested positive.  The Sacramento Bee reports that 11 families with members who either attend or work in the Elk Grove School District have self reported.  Eight of those families have tested negative for the coronavirus.  Results for the other 3 have not been reported yet.  

The announcement has left parents scrambling for daycare next week.  And the originally planned Spring Break for Elk Grove Schools, April 6th–April 10th will now be a regular school week so that school days aren’t lost.

Here’s the letter from EGUSD Superintendent Christopher Hoffman:

A statement regarding EGUSD school closures: pic.twitter.com/q9l6K8St3H

— Elk Grove Unified (@ElkGroveUnified) March 7, 2020