SAN DIEGO — Alpine Union School District's five campuses, including Joan MacQueen Middle School, remained closed for a second consecutive day due to power outages. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) shut off electricity to the entire community, citing safety concerns from Santa Ana winds creating a high fire risk.
The closure affects approximately 1,500 students in the district. Dr. Richard Newman, Alpine Union's Superintendent, expressed concern about the impact of the closures. "It impacts our students, obviously, the structure, the routine of being in school, our parents who have to go to work and our staff waiting for what's next," Newman said.
The power outage caught the district by surprise, as conditions early Tuesday morning did not seem to warrant such measures. "I understand why they have to shut it off in the back country to protect the wires and ensure the prevention of fires, but we didn't feel the impact at all in Alpine," Newman explained.
Alpine Union is not alone in facing closures. Other affected districts include Borrego Springs Unified, Dehesa, Jamul-Dulzura Union, Julian Union Elementary and High School, Mountain Empire, Ramona Unified, Spencer Valley, Vallecitos, and Warner Unified.
While some districts have built-in snow days to accommodate such closures, Alpine Union does not. This may force the district to add days at the end of the school year. Newman stated, "We're hopeful not. We'll file a waiver with the state, but as these become more and more predictable every year, we'll be focusing on building them into our schedule."
Not everyone was disappointed by the closure. Some families, like Samantha Webster and her first-grade son Braxton, took advantage of the unexpected time off. "We went for a hike today," Webster said.
Power was restored to Alpine around noon, and Alpine Union expects to resume classes on Thursday. It remains unclear how many other districts will be able to reopen.