LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Konocti Unified School District's schools will remain closed for the remainder of the week while school officials plan for how to work around the impacts of the Clayton fire.
During community meetings on Monday, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg gave updates on the school district's situation.
Falkenberg said Konocti Unified's first day of school was to have taken place on Monday.
However, with the safety of students, teachers and staff in mind, Falkenberg said schools will remain closed through Friday due to the close proximity of the Clayton fire, which fire officials said continues to actively burn around Lower Lake.
Schools included in the closure are Burns Valley Elementary, East Lake Elementary, Lower Lake Elementary, Pomo Elementary, Lower Lake High School, Lewis Center, Blue Heron School, Carlé High School, Highlands Academy, Konocti Education Center and Clearlake Creativity School, Falkenberg said.
While the district's schools were not destroyed due to the fire, there was definite damage to some of the facilities, Falkenberg reported.
In particular he mentioned Lower Lake Elementary, where he said six to seven portable classrooms sustained significant smoke damage.
Falkenberg said a plan for the continuance of school operations next week is expected to be released by, or on, Friday.
He also addressed a controversy that arose over the weekend regarding Middletown High School and the fact that the school was not opened as an evacuation center for the Clayton fire. It has served as a shelter in previous incidents.
The sheriff's office reported that the school had “declined” to open as a shelter, which stirred up criticism of the school, particularly on social media.
Falkenberg attributed the decision not to open the school as an evacuation center to a “misunderstanding,” and urged people not to use social media to participate in the kind of criticism that has been aimed at the school over the last several days.
He added that the school was ready to open as another evacuation center if needed. Three evacuation centers – at Kelseyville High School, Twin Pine Casino and the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church – remain open.
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Konocti Unified schools to remain closed for rest of week
- Elizabeth Larson
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