San Jose, California – Magdalena Moore, principal of Jean R. Meadows Elementary School, was walking through puddles between classroom buildings in unusually bright light earlier this week. devastated It has hit her school and several others over the past two weeks.
San Jose students are part of the nearly 4 million people who attend schools in flood zones across the country, according to the report. report From The Pew Charitable Trust. Children in the Golden State are the latest victims of a weather system that has killed several, affected billions, and forced many from their homes after winter break when they returned to in-person learning. are the children of Schools have been forced to grapple with the consequences of unusual rains in a state known for its clear skies and mild climate, and infrastructure not always built for prolonged downpours and floods.
some schools in california had to delay They have returned from winter break and many school officials have spent the past two weeks coordinating to feed displaced families and dealing with transportation disruptions caused by flooded roads and fallen trees. . Some facilities lost power and internet connectivity, and blackout protocols were put into effect to keep classrooms open. According to several school districts contacted by USA TODAY, some schools have seen a drop in attendance. This is a financial blow to schools that are funded by how many children go to school each day.
Officials said they hoped the situation would not get worse. More rain. More storms are expected to hit Northern California this weekend and early next week.
Oakland Unified School District spokesman John Sasaki said:
In San Francisco, for example, Superintendent Matt Wayne and school officials obtained sandbags, assessed school buildings for leaks and damage, worked with the city to clear fallen trees, and “prepared for future incidents weather permitting.” He wrote that he was working to “prevent the letter to the school community. The mayor last week declared a state of emergency for the area.
“We are committed to mobilizing and responding to weather-related emergencies to mitigate the impact of storms on school sites,” Wayne said in the letter. We would also like to thank the district officials for their tireless efforts to ensure that it is a safe place.” A place where students can learn, eat nutritious meals, and be cared for by trusted adults. ”
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What are California schools doing after the floods and landslides?
Situations vary. Several districts, including Santa Barbara, Sacramento City Unified, and West Contra Costa Unified, had to close at least one school due to flooding. However, many schools across the state remain open during the storm despite the disruption.
Schools in Berkeley lost power, phone and internet connections at several schools last week. The district welcomed children back to school and followed blackout protocols, including “bring portable lights into hallways and restrooms.”
“We had to make minor changes to our bus routes due to localized minor flooding,” McDermott said. I did.” “Some athletic events have also been cancelled.”
In Santa Cruz, where much of the city has been evacuated, schools have opened for the semester as planned. Although the district has not experienced any flood damage or power outages, fewer students than usual attended on the first day, and transportation was an issue.
“We had to make some changes to our transport route to avoid road closures and minor landslides, but so far we have been able to accommodate all the students we normally serve,” said Rollens. says Mr.
In San Ramon, schools have opened and dealt with as usual despite flooding and community mud issues that did not directly affect the school grounds. District spokesperson Ilana Samuels said there were “minor issues such as water leaking through the ceiling and under the door.”
“The ground is saturated” Flood risk rises in California after weekend rains
What does the country support?
The California Department of Education provides daily information on weather conditions, supports schools and county education offices, and provides “technical assistance from our response partners, both internally and with other state and federal partners. said Brody Fernandez, a spokesperson for the ministry.
On Friday, Fernandez said the state will monitor the impact on schools in local counties over the long weekend when schools are closed.
How will the floods affect American schools?
Risks to schools from flooding are likely to continue, and experts are concerned about the loss of learning from similar natural disasters.
The situation in California isn’t the first time floods have affected schools, according to a 2017 Pew Charitable Trust report.
“Of the 96,659 public schools in the United States, 2,247 are located in 1 percent annual flood zones,” the report said, adding that “nearly 4 million people live in the 100 counties with the highest combined flood risk scores. It includes 6,444 schools serving 100,000 students,” it added. .”
At the time, the organization reported that 4,106 schools were in the 0.2% annual flood zone, with about 2.5 million students attending these schools.
In California, the PPIC Center for Water Policy found all that county The state has been declared a flood disaster area “many times” and schools are at risk.
“One in five Californians and more than $580 billion worth of structures (including content) are vulnerable,” said the group’s 2017 report.
Please contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow @kaylajjimenez on Twitter.
