Bakersfield Christian High School has closed its campus as of Tuesday following reports of four students testing positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. That makes seven total students since returning to campus.
In a letter sent home to parents, School President John Buetow called it a "voluntary pause" saying the student body will transition back to distance learning for the rest of the week leading into the Thanksgiving break. The school is waiting on more test results for other students.
As a result, all athletic practices are canceled until further notice.
The letter went on to say: "Our hope is that we will return when Thanksgiving vacation ends (Monday, Nov. 30). As current regulations stand, BCHS will be able to make this call; in other words, the tier in which our county stands will not determine whether we can reopen."
You can read the full letter below:
As a result of several students testing positive for COVID-19, BCHS is taking a pause in conducting on-campus education. This is a voluntary pause, as the school’s percent of infected students remains well below the threshold for mandatory, temporary closure. In an abundance of caution and with Thanksgiving vacation only a few days away, BCHS believes it is prudent to take advantage of this time period to try and stop the spread of COVID on-campus before the numbers become too great. With that in mind, the school’s schedule for the remainder of this week is as follows:
Tuesday, Nov. 17 – No School – faculty prepare for remainder of the week on-line education
Wednesday, Nov. 18 – Campus closed for classes – all students engage in on-line education
Thursday, Nov. 19 – Campus closed for classes – all students engage in on-line education
Friday, Nov. 20 – Campus closed for classes– all students engage in on-line education
BCHS will take the next number of days to determine the date when students will return for on-campus education. The hope is that the date for return will be the Monday following Thanksgiving break. The Kern County Health Department has been made aware of this decision and is supportive of the school’s taking this proactive step.
BCHS is a part of the greater Bakersfield community which is made up of many individuals who are very much at an extreme health risk from COVID. This pause in on-campus education should allow for us to be a “good neighbor” within our community as well as protect the health of our own BCHS families.
