School districts throughout most of Contra Costa opted to cancel classes and close their doors Thursday as unhealthy air quality conditions continued to spike.
Some schools had cancelled outdoor activities and scheduled sporting events during the first days of what has become an ever-present, hazy brown cloud lingering over much of central California, but Thursday marked the first day of school closures.
Jane Camarillo, Vice Provost for Student Life at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, notified the schools 4000 plus students that classes and outdoor activities had been cancelled as of 1:15 p.m.
“The Incident Management Team (IMT) has been tracking the air quality index, and today’s index is in the red zone, categorized as unhealthy and is projected to worsen as the day unfolds,” Camarillo wrote in an email distributed to the student body. “Air quality conditions will be monitored and IMT will send out an update for Friday’s status for the campus at 11 p.m. on Thursday evening…”
Students at Saint Mary’s and other area schools were encouraged to remain inside with doors and windows closed and to wear protective masks when venturing outdoors.
