Air Quality

Since October 2017, the Bay Area has experienced a number of days with poor air quality due to fires in northern California. 

When schools are in session,  CLCS follows the guidelines in the "School Air Quality Activity Recommendations, which were created by the California Department of Education in partnership with the California Air Resources Board, California Air Pollution Control Officers Association, California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, Association of California School Administrators, and California School Boards Association. The template that CLCS will be following is below. 

To determine local air quality, CLCS staff monitor several websites, including:

• AirNow 
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District 
• Weather Underground

When the air is particularly bad, CLCS staff check these sites on the hour so as to be able to communicate accurate information to the sites. CLCS staff also consult with surrounding charters, districts and the Alameda County Office of Education to determine what steps to take to minimize the risk for learners and staff.

For the 2022-23 school year, the situation is more complex, due to the need to balance using outdoor spaces at lunch and recess (to protect against COVID-19) with the need to keep learners indoors in the event of unhealthy air.