The Garden Street Academy in Santa Barbara announced this week that it will suspend its instructional programs for the 2020-21 academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The independent school at 2300 Garden St. serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade on 11 acres adjacent to the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum and Santa Barbara Mission grounds.
In 2002, the academy opened to provide an educational experience focused on social-emotional learning.
In a statement released Wednesday, Garden Street Academy General Manager Angela Jevons said that “in the last few years, our school program in Santa Barbara was beginning to develop as a sustainable institution, and we began to explore plans for expansion in Southern California. While we continue this exploration, we are in the process of reimagining our operations in Santa Barbara, mostly because it’s not feasible in this new reality to continue with business as usual under the cloud of this pandemic.”
Jevons said that education leaders have “looked in great detail” at several different scenarios for the coming school year.
The decision-making process included potential public school plans and state guidelines for school to reopen with modifications — split instructional days, distancing desks at least 6 feet apart, and mandatory use of face masks and gloves for all students in the response to coronavirus — and projected enrollment, as well as the possibility of closing campus in the fall.
“There is simply no plan that makes sense for us and our community at this time,” Jevons said. “Sadly, that means we will not be able to continue to operate as a comprehensive K-12 program in Santa Barbara for next year in a manner that is of the best possible service to our community.”
During the next year, there will be a continued discussion about how the school will operate and “play an important future role within a vision for education dedicated to social-emotional learning,” Jevons said.
Garden Street Academy staff plan to help families transition to new schools and “keep in contact as we evolve into our new programming.”
“As we adjust our Santa Barbara operations for the next year, leadership staff will be available throughout the summer to give you information, answer questions and ensure that the level of care you have come to expect from us will continue until every last family is taken care of in this transition,” Jevons said.
In mid-March, the pandemic forced school campuses to close across Santa Barbara County.
The Garden Street Academy closed school facilities to students on March 16, and faculty and staff are conducting remote-learning lessons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The last day of the 2019-20 academic year will be June 4, according to the Garden Street Academy school calendar.
Garden Street Academy students, originally scheduled to begin classes on Aug. 26, will now attend other schools for the 2020-21 academic year.
“COVID-19 has impacted everyone in the world and, like many organizations, we at Garden Street have had to take a hard look at what it means for us and our families,” Jevons said. “Our goal always is to look at the surrounding circumstances and make decisions that are in the best interest of the children and families in our care.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
