Map showing Northern California poor air quality.Very Unhealthy-Maroon (200+), Unhealthy-Red (151-200), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups-Orange (101-150), Moderate-Yellow (51-100), Good-Green(0-50)

School Districts Move Students Indoors & Cancel or Postpone Outdoor Events

Schools across Elk Grove and the greater Sacramento area are keeping students indoors during recess and school breaks and canceling or postponing scheduled outdoor events.

Elk Grove Unified School District, Sacramento Unified School District, San Juan Unified School District, and Natomas Unified School District all said that outdoor activities will be moved indoors or canceled. Events such as outdoor sporting events or outdoor field trips will be postponed.

Additionally, Sacramento State has canceled classes so far through Wednesday November 14. Chico State is out until November 26. UC Davis continues to be in session.

The Air Quality Index (AQI), according to the Environmental Protection Agency, lists air quality between 151-200 as unhealthy.  At the time this article was written on Tuesday November 13, the air quality was 196 in downtown Sacramento and 171 in Elk Grove.

You can check air quality information at:  http://www.sparetheair.com/aqirealtime.cfm. You can follow recommendations for poor air quality days at: http://www.sparetheair.com/AQI%20Activity%20Guide.pd.

Elk Grove Fire Stations and Sacramento Fire Stations are giving out free particle masks to the public.

Statement of Xanthi Pinkerton, Director of Communications/Public Information Officer of EGUSD

“We continue to closely monitor the air quality situation, the impact it has on our schools within the Elk Grove Unified School District and we are taking appropriate action. Late yesterday afternoon, we instructed all school sites to cancel all outdoor activities at all of our school sites for today and we reinforced that message this morning. Additionally, field trips that involved outdoor activities have been cancelled and/or rescheduled. We are also making sure that employees who work primarily outdoors are taking the necessary safety precautions while outdoors (i.e. wearing masks, going indoors for breaks and rolling windows up in vehicles and using the inside air recycling function). We will continue to provide our schools with updates to these restrictions while air quality conditions remain persistently poor and unhealthy. Per Sacramento County Public Health, asthmatics should follow their asthma management plan and parents should contact their doctor for symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms believed to be caused by smoke.”