WASHINGTON — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday afternoon that she expects all D.C. Public Schools to fully reopen for in-person learning starting fall 2021.
According to an announcement from the mayor's office, Bowser proposed a 3.6% boost to per-student funding for the upcoming school year in addition to her planning for students and educators to be in classrooms for “in-person learning, five days a week.”
“We have stuck together through this pandemic – now, we need a strong citywide commitment to reopening this fall so that we can meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of all our students,” Bowser said in a release to WUSA9. “We are proud to make this historic investment in our public schools as we work together to reopen and recover.”
Information regarding whether virtual learning would still be an option for students and families in the upcoming fall 2021 school term was not immediately released.
Bowser shared her vision for the fall reopening of D.C. Public Schools with school leaders Thursday so that school communities would have as much time as possible to identify challenges and plan accordingly to make five days of in-person learning for every student a reality.
"In the weeks and months to come, the District will work with school communities to ensure they have staff, space, and other resources they need to safely accommodate all students," the mayor's office said in a statement to WUSA9. "Schools will share robust plans with the city and their communities and have strong health protocols in place."
The mayor’s budget proposal also includes increased funding for schools, “with a focus on enhancing equity and supporting our most vulnerable students.”