Parents react to recent school decisions by Gov. Newsom, local districts

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Classrooms across most of the state will remain empty come fall, and now local school district officials are having to shift their reopening plans for lectures to be all be online for the time being.

"If you want your kids back in school, we need to do whatever is required to get on the state's monitoring list," says Fresno Unified School District Superintendent Bob Nelson.

Newsom's announcement on Friday means that counties on the state's targeted watch list will have to start their semesters with distant learning.

"I'm for it," says Rose Mary Morgan. "I think that's the best thing for students, teachers and everybody at the school."

Mike Peerson says his kids are in Clovis Unified, and while he understands the need for kids to be in classrooms, he would rather districts be safe than sorry.

"I know they're missing classroom experience," he said. "I think as the numbers go up, we need to be more cautious."

However, others aren't too happy, as Laura Maxey hoped to have her kids back in school by August.

"My hope is for choice," she said. "I want either an in-person school or virtual option."

Parents who need to go back to work also say it's a difficult situation as they now need to figure out childcare.

Trisha Veckstead also worries distant learning will impact her son's future.

"I feel like my kids are going to suffer in getting a better education I think they deserve," she said. "We're thinking about college and how is this going to affect that."

The changes aren't expected to be permanent as Newsom says schools can return to modified traditional learning once the county they're operating in has been off the watch list for two weeks.