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Konocti Unified, Middletown Unified school districts delay start of school due to Rocky fire
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Konocti Unified School District and the Middletown Unified School District reported this week that, due to the Rocky fire, the start of school will be delayed.
School in the Konocti Unified School District had been set to start on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but now will start on Monday, Aug. 17, according to District Superintendent Donna Becnel.
In Middletown, new Superintendent Catherine Stone said all activities preceding the start of school as well as the school start date will take place one week later than originally planned, with the new school opening date set for Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The news came at about the same time as Cal Fire pushed its estimate on the fire's full containment back from Aug. 10 to Aug. 13.
Konocti Unified School District's schools include Burns Valley School, East Lake School, Lower Lake Elementary, Pomo School, Lewis School, Highlands Academy, Carlé Continuation High School, Konocti Education Center and Lower Lake High School.
In a message to parents and students, Becnel said the district has been in close communication with the Lake County Office of Emergency Services since Friday, offering support and resources and continuing to be on standby.
Becnel noted that the community has been on high alert since the fire started east of Lower Lake on July 29.
“Many of our students, staff and Konocti families have been under voluntary or mandatory evacuation and some will not have a home to return to,” she said. “We are hoping that many of the evacuation orders will be lifted sometime next week.”
Becnel said that in order to provide some transition time and minimize disruption to the school schedules, the first day of school was pushed back five days to Aug. 17.
“Next week we will begin working with the evacuation shelters to assure transition and support for those students who continue to be displaced at the start of school,” she said.
Becnel said transportation decisions will be made based on where students are located, with school attendance routes expected to be finalized by Friday, Aug. 14.
“We appreciate everyone’s understanding during this time as we work to accommodate the needs of our students, staff and families,” Becnel said.
The delays in the Middletown district will impact Middletown High School, Middletown Middle School, Minnie Cannon, Coyote Valley Elementary and Cobb Mountain Elementary.
Stone said that Middletown High School and Middletown Middle School currently are being used as evacuation centers and as the Red Cross Command Center.
“It is possible that some of our other schools will also be used as evacuation centers. Because of this, we made the decision to delay the start of school,” Stone said in a message to parents and students.
Due to the change in schedule, Middletown High School's welcome back for 10th, 11th and 12th graders will be held beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, with the freshman welcome event to take place at 6 p.m. that same day.
Middletown Middle School's welcome event for seventh graders will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, and for eighth graders at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13.
Minnie Cannon's ribbon cutting and spaghetti feed will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, with the Cobb and Coyote Valley spaghetti feeds set for 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14.
The change in the start date will push the end of school in 2016 back to June 6, the district reported.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but we know you understand that these are extraordinary circumstances,” Stone said in her message to the district's families.