GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – The Butte County Department of Health warned last week that a change of tiers was in the future for the county due to sharp increase in COVID cases. Shockingly, BCDPH announced Monday a return to the Purple Tier (most restrictive) of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, instead of the Red Tier as anticipated.

Schools across the county had reopened for in person education Mid-October when the county had originally been downgraded from Purple to Red. A waiver had previously been required for schools to have students on campus but the downgrade to the “red tier” gave districts the opportunity to resume classes at their discretion – most opting for hybrid models of attendance.

What does this sudden skip and return to the most restrictive Tier Purple mean for our schools? Superintendent Jordan Reeves of Gridley Unified School District says essentially nothing. Reeves explains that once schools were able to be opened for in-person instruction, they can remain open without a waiver even if the county goes back to Purple. Reeves confirms, “We will remain open even when we’re in purple. We’ll continue to implement everything we’re doing – the masks, the PPE, all the guidelines and everything we still must follow.”  He says that at this point, the only thing that would shut down the schools would be an outbreak of 5% at a specific site, and it would be a temporary shutdown.   

GUSD plans to keep a watchful eye on the matter and follow the BCDPH guidelines but plans to remain open until otherwise notified by the health department.