School districts encourage safe spring break to avoid COVID setback

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- School districts across the Central Valley are hoping to avoid a spring break setback.

The schools have the same message. They want their students healthy and safe over spring break.

"Try to stay in your bubbles, family groups, stay in the groups you've been in all along, wear masks outside of that group," said Dr. Rebecca Malmo, Executive Director of Student and Family Support Services at Madera Unified.

In Madera Unified, students just returned to the classroom this week. Now they'll take the next week off for spring break. The staff says it's unclear how many students will be traveling.

"We don't really have an expectation for student travel," said Malmo. "I'd say the advice is consistent with what we've been saying all along."

When students come back to the classroom, they'll be returning to strict health and safety guidance.

"If students leave the state or country, we're going to treat them like any other student when they return," said Malmo. "That's going to be to continue to implement our health screener, which every student must complete before they enter the school grounds."

Clovis Unified is rolling out similar recommendations.

"We're just asking they follow our health and safety procedures," said Clovis Unified Director of Communications Kelly Avants.

When students return... "We're doing temperature checks. We're requiring anyone with symptoms to stay home, anyone whose been in contact with someone who has tested positive to stay off-campus," Avants said.

We reached out to the Fresno County Department of Public Health about their spring break guidance for families.

They issued a statement saying:

"The Fresno County Department of Public Health recommends that all residents continue to follow the California Department of Public Health's Travel Advisory and should avoid non-essential travel to any part of California more than 120 miles from one's place of residence, or to other states or countries and follow quarantine recommendations and self-quarantine for 10 days."