A LETTER FROM SRCS' SUPERINTENDENT
September 18, 2019

Dear San Rafael City Schools Community,

As our new school year is underway, student safety is a top concern. This is also fire season, and it is important that schools and families prepare for potential wildfires and power outages and their impact. Anticipating these occurrences, we are sharing a series of updates to keep you informed about our school safety protocols and to help you and your family prepare.

This first update provides information and resources related to PG&E's "Public Safety Power Shutoff" or "PSPS" program. As you may be aware, PG&E has shared that for public safety, it may be necessary for them to turn off electricity when gusty winds and dry conditions, combined with a heightened fire risk, are forecasted. This precaution is meant to help reduce the risk of wildfires. Please see the important information below about what this means for our schools.

Thank you for your support and partnership in helping us be prepared!

Sincerely,

Jim Hogeboom
Superintendent
Preparing for PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff in our Schools

The Marin County Office of Education in coordination with school districts, PG&E, the Marin County Fire Department, and the Marin County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services, is providing this information to help prepare our school community for the possibility of a Public Safety Power Shutoff that may result in a multi-day power outage. PG&E will make every effort to provide 48-Hour notification to impacted areas, followed by 24-hour updates, a final update just before the power is shut down. Outages may be isolated to specific geographic areas and schools, or may be widespread with impacts to many schools. Communications will be challenging during the duration of the outage.

Based on the information and guidance we have at this time, the following are the steps we anticipate taking in the event of a power shut down:
  • In the event that the power is shut down during the normal school day, school operations will continue through the remainder of the school day.
  • In the event that the power is shut down outside of the normal school day, school will be closed until power is restored. Based on estimates from PG&E, Public Safety Power Shutoffs may result in extended power outages of 3-5 days.
  • Communication during the power outage - Districts and schools will make every effort to provide updated information regarding status of the outage, using whatever information channels they have available (cell phone, landline, email, texting, social media, local news media) with the understanding that communication systems will be limited.
  • When power is restored, schools will be back in session. If power is restored during the normal school day, school will be back in session the following day.
In order to stay as up to date as possible on the most current information, our public safety officials are recommending that you register your contact information at the following sites:
Here are some additional links with important resources to assist you in being prepared at home.