San Diego schools have now been closed for an entire year "This is a bigger challenge than anything I thought I'd ever experience in my lifetime," said Tony Thurmond, California's Superinendent of Schools. Author: Shannon Handy (Reporter) Updated: 6:30 PM PDT March 15, 2021 SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — This week marks one year since the majority of schools in San Diego County shut down due to the pandemic. The past 365 days have been a challenging time for students, parents, administrators and teachers. When schools first shut down, many people thought it would only be for a few weeks. "This is a bigger challenge than anything I thought I'd ever experience in my lifetime," California’s Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond said, at the time.