3 p.m. Tuesday update:
Jamul-Dulzura Union School District has announced it will remain closed for the rest of the week due to the Valley Fire and possible power outages.
As if this year hasn't been hard enough on kids, now the wildfires are forcing school closures. As the Valley Fire continued to burn across the Japatul Valley on Monday, Alison Borel was packed and ready to go.
“We are just kind of living moment to moment here,” the mom said.
With the flames just miles away from home, Borel expected to get her son back on Zoom for school all over again.
“It’s very difficult for our children to be focused on school and learning at the same time that they're potentially evacuating,” said Jamul-Dulzura School District Superintendent Liz Bystedt.
Jamul-Dulzura is one of several area districts that canceled in-person classes and "learning pods" because of the fire.
The move came just three weeks after students returned from distance learning and school leaders said it's starting to take a toll.
“It’s very difficult to plan. And we want our kids in school. We know it's best for kids and yet at the same time there's so many unknowns,” said Bystedt.
School gyms have been forced to set up as temporary evacuation centers at Steele Canyon High School and Joan MacQueen Middle School. Both are air-conditioned, hooked up to WiFi for distance learning, and stocked with food and water.
But with officials focused on keeping COVID-19 out of shelters, Red Cross volunteers have placed evacuees in hotels.
“It’s much safer to put them in hotels than to set up a traditional congregate shelter,” one volunteer said.
And setting up for remote classes may not be realistic for everyone.
“The benefit of having school remotely is they get to go to school. The only thing is if we don't have electricity or internet capabilities that's not going to happen,” said Borel.
As of Monday night, the following school districts in San Diego County had announced closures of some or all schools and other updates. Parents are urged to check with their individual schools to confirm if they will be in session Tuesday and the rest of the week.
Alpine School District
Teachers will continue distance learning on Sept. 8. "Please understand that some teachers may be impacted by the fires and blackouts and we will be reaching out to support them and their classes," the district said in part on Facebook. Get the latest updates from AUSD here.
Jamul-Dulzura Union School District
"Due to power outages and evacuation orders in the Jamul and Dulzura communities of San Diego County, schools in the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District will be closed on Tuesday, Sept. 8," the San Diego Office of Education announced Monday.
Mountain Empire Unified School District
"Schools in the Mountain Empire Unified School District will shift to asynchronous classes on Sept. 8 due to power outages in parts of the community. Potrero Elementary will not have staff onsite due to extended power outages," the San Diego Office of Education announced Monday.
The San Diego Office of Education has also been tweeting updates about school closures and online.