Malibu School Playgrounds Close Amid LA Stay-At-Home Order

Malibu CA

03 December, 2020

7:24 PM

Description

MALIBU, CA — Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School district campus playgrounds are closed Thursday as the county's stay-at-home order is underway, district officials said. "The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has closed all elementary school playgrounds, including structures and open spaces, in response to the safer at home order by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH), as cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in LA County," the district said in a news release. The county's stay-at-home order is in effect through Dec. 20, unless it's extended. "This order includes public playgrounds on school property in Santa Monica, through the City of Santa Monica Playground Partnership, and Malibu, through the City of Malibu Joint Use Agreement," officials said. The following school playgrounds are now closed: Franklin Elementary SchoolRoosevelt Elementary SchoolMcKinley Elementary SchoolWill Rogers Learning CommunityGrant Elementary School Edison Language AcademyMuir / SMASH schools in Santa MonicaThe new play structure at Malibu Elementary School Open space fields at John Adams Middle School and Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica continue to be open, following strict health-protective guidelines posted at the sites, officials told Patch. Playground use for childcare or current on-campus services may continue under this order, officials said. High school athletic conditioning that recently began at Santa Monica High School and Malibu High School is permitted to continue under the current order. "We are following the LACDPH guidelines with regard to all aspects of our schools, including reopening protocols and playground use," Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati said in a news release. "The health and safety of our students and staff are our top priorities as we navigate this challenging time." Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.