School is out for summer. But what happens when classes start again this fall?
Virginia schools were at the center of the debate over civil rights. Now they’re at the center of another debate, this one fueled by an ongoing pandemic – one that’s killed almost 2,000 people here in Virginia: Should schools be open five days a week for in-person classes? Republican Senator Jill Vogel of Warrenton says local school boards should have that option.
“Being in the classroom on a normal schedule five days a week with the same kids all day is less risky than a disjointed schedule where people spend a couple days in school and then the rest of day or the rest of the week out of school with different groups of people,” Vogel says.
She says the governor’s guidelines present legal obstacles to school boards that want to have in-person classes five days a week.
Delegate Elizabeth Guzman, a Democrat from Woodbridge, says reopening schools this fall is not a good idea because it’s not safe.
“Republicans like Donald Trump are willing to disregard the health and safety of teachers and students and their families,” she explains.
A spokeswoman for Governor Ralph Northam says there’s nothing he wants more than for children to return to schools this fall. But, she adds, recent surges in other states make it clear Virginia needs to proceed cautiously.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
