FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Staff members at Fairfax County Public Schools presented a potential plan to reopen schools for the 2020-21 school year to the Fairfax County School Board on Monday night.
The plan complies with the guidance set forth by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the safe reopening of schools using health and social distancing protocols.
It includes three potential reopening scenarios. Here's a breakdown of each.
A virtual start:
- No students would be allowed in school buildings.
- All instruction would be delivered via enhanced distance learning, including expanded digital access and digital curriculum resources.
- Staff would have access to the buildings for instructional purposes following health department guidelines.
Reopening safety protocols:
- Students would be allowed in school buildings at a 50% or 25% rate, so they would either attend class in-person two days out of the week or one
- Fridays would be reserved for individual help with teachers or project work
- New health and safety protocols would be in place in classrooms and non-academic settings.
- New instructional bell schedules may be implemented to serve students on alternating days or a.m.-p.m. shifts.
- In-school instruction may be prioritized for high-need populations such as special education students, English language learners, or students in grades K-2 while serving the majority of students virtually.
- Under these plans, Fridays would be set aside as in-person support days for students with IEPs, English Language Learners or other selected students in need of additional support.
Online learning by need:
- This option could play out within either of the other scenarios as well as in a "routine" return structure.
- It would require alternative instructional delivery for students opting out of in-school instruction.
- May involve monitoring and intervention supports for students when they eventually return.
- Full-time online enrollment would be offered to students with documented medical needs.
- Staff can also take advantage of the online learning option if they have a medical need that requires it.
The goal is to reach an agreed-upon reopening plan by June 26.
"We all want our schools to return to 'normal' operations and we're hopeful that will be permitted and feasible during the upcoming school year," FCPS Superintendent Dr. Scott S. Brabrand said. "This report also includes contingency plans should there be a resurgence of the virus in the fall at the onset of flu season or if ongoing waves of the infection occur. In those cases, we could see a return to distance learning for all students, or blended learning."
Brabrand said the plan has a lot of moving parts and will depend on how Phase 2 and Phase 3 of Virginia's reopening plan goes.
"We are considering all of the variables. Foremost are the health and safety of our students and staff members, along with budget considerations and support for staff members and families," Brabrand said.
The Assistant Superintendent said the average class size on a normal day is 28 students.
Dr. Brabrand also noted that typical distances between desks is only 18 inches, so incorporating six feet of social distancing completely changes classroom setup. The district's maps show 13 to 16 available seats with the distancing in place.
Assistant Superintendent Jeff Platenberg said they will also be severely limiting the number of students on a bus at a time, which has altered the proposed bell schedule, showing a staggering start time.
That allows for the buses to be thoroughly cleaned in between pickups.
He said masks will be required on buses and strongly suggested in classrooms.