Coronavirus: LAUSD schools to remain closed until safe to reopen, superintendent says

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent released an update on Monday about school closures, saying the district will not reopen schools until it is safe to do so.

"There is still no clear picture about testing, treatments or vaccines, which we'll need to know more about in order to create a plan to safely reopen schools. The facts and circumstances will continue to change, but we will not reopen school facilities until state and local health authorities tell us how it is safe and appropriate to do so," said LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner.

Beutner says distance learning will be in place for the remainder of the school year, including summer school. He also mentioned high school seniors will likely have virtual graduation ceremonies.

While Beutner praised the importance of teachers, the head of the teacher's largest union warns that job cuts could be coming.

"There is going to be a call for education cuts, and it will include a call for layoffs, in all likelihood, and I'm here to tell you we're not going to go back to 2008," said Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of United Teachers Los Angeles.

Pearl also said many states have already announced cuts and the union is doing everything it can to prevent cuts to teachers' healthcare.