Portantino Visits Luther Burbank Middle School

State Sen. Anthony Portantino recently visited three schools across the 25th District to learn more about how in-person instruction is operating and the COVID-19 safety measures that schools are implementing.
“It was exciting to see our schools welcoming students onto campus once again,” Portantino said in a statement. “Bringing students back to the classroom in the safest way possible has been a priority for all of us. We have to continue to support our school districts and educators and provide them the resources necessary to implement appropriate safety precautions as we navigate our way out of this pandemic. I’m grateful to the dedicated administrators and staff in school districts across the 25th Senate District for their hard work on creating safe learning environments for our students.”
Portantino’s last stop was Luther Burbank Middle School, where he met with Principal Oscar Macias. Before returning to a hybrid in-person learning on April 12, the school was providing daycare and optional onsite academic support for its students. While on campus, Portantino had the opportunity to congratulate Macias on the school’s selection as a 2021 California Distinguished School.
Earlier this year, the Legislature allocated $6.6 billion to public schools across the state to help create safe learning environments for students and safe workplaces for educators. Of that, $2 billion has been dedicated to safety measures to support in-person instruction, such as personal protective equipment, ventilation upgrades and COVID-19 testing. Another $4.6 billion was allocated to expand learning opportunities, such as summer school, tutoring and mental health services. The package also contained a key provision that prioritized and accelerated vaccinations by setting aside 10 percent of vaccines for K-12 school staff.