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SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced what assistance and fiscal relief are available for schools affected by the Southern California wildfires.

"First of all, I want to express my deep sorrow for all the victims of the wildfires who have either lost loved ones, homes, or had their lives disrupted because of this disaster,” said O'Connell. "I have directed all divisions of the California Department of Education to find solutions to help homeless students get back to school; get them, their families, and school staff access to food and shelter; and seek quick relief for schools in terms of funding, lost instructional days, and cutting the red tape to help them get back in operation.”

At the height of the disaster last week, up to 1.3 million students and 62,000 education-related staff were affected by the wildfires. Even though most of the schools have reopened today, the number of people still affected remains at about 500,000 students and 29,000 staff. Damage to school facilities, if any, has not yet been fully assessed.  

School Funding, Lost Instructional Days

"Many schools had to close down directly because of the wildfires and indirectly because of damage caused by the related smoke, wind, and sand,” O'Connell said. "In non-emergency situations, this usually can result in a loss of school funding. My staff is working closely with local education agencies to help them fill out the appropriate form so they can get fiscal relief. Then I will authorize Average Daily Attendance credit to these schools so they will not lose funding, nor be required to make up lost instructional days and minutes.”

Food for Homeless Families

"We have worked closely with the federal government to cut the red tape and get food to victims of the wildfire more quickly,” said O'Connell. "Students who have lost their homes can be immediately classified as ‘homeless,' and get free meals at schools or at congregate feeding centers. Also, schools that closed down because of the disaster can get reimbursed for fixed expenses related to providing the food.”

For guidelines, please visit Disaster Relief Guidelines - School Nutrition.

Overcrowded Schools

"If homeless students are forced to attend other schools, this may increase class sizes and bring added financial challenges to the nearby school districts," said O'Connell. "Right now, there's no law to help overcrowded schools in this situation. We are seeking a legislative solution that would amend existing law, so we can provide immediate relief to schools in the midst of a crisis without having to wait for new laws to be passed.”

Enrolling Homeless Students in Another School

"There is a law already in place if a student becomes homeless as a result of a disaster and has to enroll in another school,” said O'Connell. "Families and schools won't have to worry about not having the students' proper school and medical records, immunizations, or proof of residency to temporarily enroll in another school.”

The law O'Connell referred to is the McKinney-Vento Act regarding providing education to homeless students. For more information, please visit the San Diego County Office of Education's Web site at Temporarily Displaced Students (NCLB) [http://www.sdcoe.net/news/07-10-23-nclb.asp] (Outside Source).

Testing

"My staff is working closely with schools affected by the wildfires to let them know we have extended the window to complete the annual assessment of the California English Language Development Test,” said O'Connell. "Also, because not all schools have yet reopened, we are still determining what type of help we can provide schools on meeting their testing requirements.”

School Facilities

"We have received no reports of school facilities being destroyed directly because of the wildfires,” said O'Connell.  "However, some schools may have sustained indirect damage from smoke and ash that may require the use of portable classrooms. We are staying in touch with our local educational agencies as they begin to assess the damage to see how we can help them quickly get the assistance they need.”

The Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) has State Relocatable Classrooms that are available for emergency housing for school districts that have lost classrooms due to the fires in Southern California.

The California Department of Education has created a Web page to keep the public up-to-date on school closures, provide links to assistance for victims of the wildfires, and updates on the fire fight. To access this page, please visit Southern California Wildfires 2007 - Hot Topics.