COVID-19 cases have surged in Los Angeles County and in the state of California. Due to this, the Glendale Unified School District announced on Monday that it has decided to pause all in-person activities for the safety of the students and faculty.

This decision was made due to strong advice from Los Angeles County Health, that “all TK-12 schools in the county suspend in person student instruction, services, and activities during the month of January as much as possible,” Superintendent Vivian Ekchian stated in an email. 

Beginning next week until the end of January, campuses will be closed to the public but the Nutrition Services Department will still be serving meals at their grab-and-go sites on their regular schedule.

Hoover football Coach Azad Herabidian  stated the uncertainty of returning is emotionally draining.

“But I’m proud of how the kids are handling it well and taking it in stride,” he said.

Activities that won’t be allowed include on-campus childcare in Technology Learning Pods, Facilitate Learning Centers, kindergarten instruction at Mann Elementary, athletic conditioning, and on-site assessments from January 19-29. They are planned to resume on Monday, February 1, 2021.

“Based on all of the evidence we have, it’s the most prudent decision,” Hoover athletic director Jack Van Patten said. “We look forward to practicing whenever it’s safe.”

Added Ekchian: “We remain confident that the systems we have put in place on our campuses are effective at keeping students and employees safe and healthy. We are commited, however, to following all public health guidelines to keep our community safe. We have been informed by healthcare leaders in our community that we should expect the current surge to worsen in the coming weeks.”