WASHINGTON — Back to school plans from across D.C., Maryland and Virginia are making their way to students, parents, teachers and staff.
Across the DMV, a variety of approaches to teaching children during the 2020-2021 school year during the coronavirus pandemic have popped up.
Here is what we know so far for school districts in our area:
Virginia
Manassas City Public Schools: The start date for school in the fall is Aug. 31. The school year will be virtual learning online.
Fairfax County Public Schools: The district announced on Tuesday, July 21, that it will start all of its students with virtual learning to start the school year, with hopes that if pandemic conditions improve, there could be a phased approach to getting students back in the classroom no earlier than the second quarter.
Loudoun County Public Schools: The school board approved a motion to start the school year with 100% virtual learning, with very limited exceptions, and implement a planned hybrid model in stages.
Alexandria City Public Schools: School officials have proposed an all-virtual plan for the 2020-2021 school year.
RELATED: Return to school: Alexandria City Public Schools will go completely virtual for upcoming school year
Alexandria County Public Schools: Parents received a survey to decide on virtual or in-person learning.
Arlington County Public Schools: Arlington Public Schools votes to start the 2020-2021 school year on September 8. The school system will implement distance learning for the fall.
RELATED: Arlington schools superintendent proposes postponed start, virtual learning for 2020-21 year
Frederick County Public Schools: Frederick announced July 21 that it would adopt a hybrid model for the 2020-2021 school year. They also delayed the start of the school year from Aug. 17 to Aug. 31.
RELATED: Fredericksburg City Public Schools plans to reopen, asks families to weigh in on learning options
Prince William County Public Schools: The school system will start the school year with all virtual instruction. They hope to transition to a 50% capacity model for the second quarter, with an option to continue virtually.
Maryland
Charles County Public Schools: School year will start Aug. 31 with ALL virtual learning. Under the proposed plan students will receive four days of online instruction and Wednesdays will be independent studies for students to seek one-on-one meetings with teachers and counselors.
Montgomery County Public Schools: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will have a digital class curriculum only until January 29, 2021, amid the continued spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to the district.
The district said that these plans may change if guidance from state and local health officials determine conditions in the county will allow students to return safely after the first semester.
RELATED: Montgomery Co. Public Schools leans toward beginning school year online in most recent plan
Fredericksburg City Public Schools: The school system plans to reopen on Aug. 17, and is asking families to weigh in on a variety of in-class and digital learning options.
Prince George's County Public Schools:
Prince George's County Schools Chief Executive Officer Dr. Monica Goldson announced that the school system will continue distance learning for the 2020-2021 academic school year starting Aug. 31 until Jan. 29.
Dr. Goldson said school leaders discussed two learning models for students to resume instruction during the coronavirus pandemic. Leaders evaluated a distance learning scenario and a hybrid option that would allow students to do two days a week in-person and three days online.
After conducting a survey in June, leaders learned that teachers, parents, and administrators favored continued distance learning. With distance learning, students will experience a full five days a week of virtual instruction. Teachers will have the option to teach in their classrooms and small group instructions will be offered virtually.
RELATED: Prince George's County Public Schools will continue distance learning into 2020-21 school year
DC:
DC Public Schools: Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that there will be no decision on the reopening plan for schools until July 31 during a press conference on Thursday.
A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found 24% of teachers have underlying conditions that put them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
The Trump Administration has put increasing pressure on schools across the country to fully open with five days a week instruction, even threatening to cut off funding for school systems that resist.
We will continue to update this list as more information becomes available.