Fauquier County Public Schools in Virginia announced Friday that it will transition back to remote learning next week as the coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen in the region. The school system said it made the decision after seeing a significant amount of community spread and a reduction in its workforce due to employees needing to quarantine after being exposed to the virus. Three Fauquier schools are currently without their school nurses, the county said. Fauquier Schools will engage in virtual learning from Dec. 14 through Dec. 17, at which point the schools will enter their winter break period. A public health official for the Rappahannock Rapidan Health District said that whether students return to in-class instruction when the next semester begins on Jan. 6 is dependent on health metrics at that time. “Getting students back to school next semester really depends on the community’s behavior, being safe, and staying away from gatherings outside of your own household for the holidays,” said April Achter, population health coordinator. “Watch your distance, wear your mask and wash your hands.” On Thursday, the Virginia Education Association also called for all public schools to go virtual as case counts rise around the commonwealth.
VEA President James J. Fedderman on why public schools should go ALL-VIRTUAL until at least mid-January. “Learning losses will be made up, but loss of life cannot be.” #COVID19 #VEAStrong https://t.co/ubm3LCpH4C
— Virginia Education Association (@VEA4Kids) December 10, 2020
Also this week, Loudoun County Public Schools made the decision to return to remote learning. Fairfax County Public Schools is currently discussing the possibility of returning students to at least some level of in-class instruction between Jan. 12 and Feb. 2, though the superintendent said he recognizes that if health metrics continue to worsen, that timeline may be pushed back.
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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.