Devin Nunes Calls California School Closure Move 'Overkill'

Gov. Newsom confirms schools won't reopen before summer
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 2, 2020 2:29 AM CDT
California Schools Won't Reopen Before Summer
A reminder for people to wash their hands is displayed on a sign outside Theodore Judah Elementary School in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, April 1, 2020.   (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

California's 6 million students won't be going back to school this academic year, but that doesn't mean school is out, officials say. Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed Wednesday that schools won't reopen before summer, KGO reports. Two weeks ago, the Democrat warned that schools were likely to remain closed to stop the spread of the coronavirus. "This in no way suggests school is over for the year, but rather it will continue education through distance learning," state superintendent Tony Thurmond said in a letter to school districts. "School is not out for the year, in fact, we're asking everyone to accelerate everyone gets a great education," he said.

Thurmond said the state will provide anything districts need to help with distance learning, KRON reports. Newsom told reporters that Google is stepping up in a "big way" and will provide thousands of free Chromebooks and Internet access points to help students get online. The extended school closure was criticized by Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, who represents a Fresno-area district, the New York Times reports. "Look, the schools were just canceled out here in California, which is way overkill," he told Fox News. "It’s possible kids could have went back to school in two weeks to four weeks, but they just canceled the rest of the schools." The Republican, contradicting health experts and even President Trump, said the US should focus on getting people back to work "over the next week to two weeks." (More California stories.)

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