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Frederick County Schools: Students will return to classrooms on February 16 as part of hybrid plan

Frederick County Schools is moving forward with its hybrid learning plan.

FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. — Frederick County Schools announced it is moving forward with its hybrid learning plan that will include both face-to-face instruction and virtual learning. The first day of hybrid instruction will be Tuesday, February 16, FCPS Superintendent Dr. Terry Alban said in a statement.

Dr. Alban thanked parents and students for being part of the "team effort" to implement the hybrid learning plan, and stressed the importance of following health guidelines like mask wearing and social distancing while in school buildings. Dr. Alban also stressed patience in a letter to the community.

"We have worked very hard to be as prepared as possible for this transition, yet we anticipate some "bumps" in the road," Dr. Alban said.

The announcement of hybrid instructions comes more than two weeks before the March 1 deadline set by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan for schools in the state to get kids back in class. 

Hogan announced the deadline last month, saying the time had come for students to return to classrooms.

"There is no public health reason for school boards to be keeping students out of schools," he said. "It is abundantly clear that the toll of keeping students out of school far exceeds any potential risk of having students in school where they belong.”  

The governor's deadline brought mixed reaction from teachers. The Frederick County Teachers Association expressed no confidence in Dr. Alban's hybrid plan, saying it was reckless, and it put teachers at risk.

The Board of Education, meanwhile, expressed confidence in the plan, which brought teachers back to school buildings on January 27.

In the superintendent's letter Wednesday, Dr. Alban said schools will remain flexible and will continue to work with the Frederick County Health Department if changes need to be made to the plan moving forward.

"We look forward to welcoming students back to our school buildings on Tuesday," Dr. Alban said.

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