The Washoe County School District intends to delay the start of the new school year by one day as it monitors the Loyalton Fire burning north of Reno. As of Sunday evening, the fire was at nearly 30,000 acres and remained at 0% containment.
Early in the day, teachers complained on social media, including the Empower Nevada Teachers Facebook page, about the conditions. Many said the district should delay classes.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect for including, Scotts Flat Road to the north side of Highway 70, Red Rock Road in California and Highway 395 to the state line, Highway 49 and Highway 70, east to Highway 70 and Highway 395. It also includes Highway 395 south to the state line. This includes everything south of Highway 70 and west of Highway 395. Evacuation orders are also in place for Balls Canyon Road, Long Valley Road, Bordertown and Copperfield. Bordertown/Cold Springs are limited to the west of 395.
A press release saying it would do so was released at 8 p.m. Sunday evening. It reads:
“As a result of the Loyalton Fire and the deteriorating air quality, we have made the decision that we cannot safely reopen our school district for our students and staff. Also, as emergency services continue to focus their efforts on battling the fire, it means that their support of the school district in the event of an emergency is compromised.
“To repeat—students will not return to school tomorrow, and staff members will have a non-contact professional development day.
“We will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout tomorrow, but look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Tuesday, August 18.”
The school district has been pushing forward with its reopening plans against the advice of Washoe County Health District and the protestations of many of its teachers.
