Schools in the Florida Keys will start online for at least four weeks
Monroe County schools will teach online for at least four weeks when classes start next month.
The decision was made out of concern for the safety of students and staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the incoming superintendent said.
The first day of school has not been set. Classes will start Aug. 13 or 17, the school district said.
Virtual learning will go through at least Sept. 11.
“The community spread of the virus in the South Florida area is definitely concerning,” said Superintendent Theresa Axford. “We know this will not be an optimal learning environment, but in our planning process we have introduced considerable improvements over last year’s efforts.”
The larger South Florida school districts, including Miami-Dade and Broward, have not officially announced how they will start the school year, although the leaders have said online learning is a probability at this point.
The Monroe County School Board met Tuesday, during which Axford announced the plans and the board heard from the county’s top health department official, who said to start online and then reassess makes the most sense at this point.
“This makes the most reasonable way to start educating children again and keeping them safe,” said Bob Eadie, administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County.
“This is a disease that does affect children and also children can affect adults,” Eadie said.
Starting Sept. 7, school administrators will meet with the Florida Department of Health in Monroe to determine whether students and teachers can return to a physical classroom safely, said district spokeswoman Becky Herrin.
“Parents will be informed of all of these details in several ways,” Herrin said.
The district’s website, its social media pages, the individual school websites and the school district’s blog will provide continuing updates, she said, and phone calls will be made to parents and guardians.
“All of our leadership teams have been working so hard. I just want everyone to realize that this is not an easy process,” Axford said. “On top of it all, we have been fielding questions and trying to reassure nervous parents even though we don’t have all the answers they may want to hear.”
Schools are making preparations for welcoming students back, Axford said, and classroom spaces have been adjusted for social distancing.
“What we would rely on is a lot of social distancing as helping us move back into a more face-to-face environment,” Axford said.
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 6:37 AM.
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