Maryland BOE Reaches Decision On Fall Classes

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland schools will have the option to reopen in the fall if their jurisdiction permits, the state superintendent said at a Wednesday press conference. The compromise satisfies both counties with few coronavirus cases itching to reopen and jurisdictions where the pandemic is widespread.

"I hear every day from those who passionately demand that schools be fully reopened as well as those who are adamant in appeals for only virtual learning," Superintendent Karen Salmon said. "In striking a balance and offering local flexibility, we offer an approach that we hope will lead to more in-person school time."

Counties may now choose to have online classes, in-person instruction or a hybrid between the two. Districts that choose to reopen must follow strict guidelines set by the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Students and staff will have to wear masks at all times. Furthermore, everybody will have to remain six feet apart whenever possible, which may leave some classrooms with fewer students. Schools must alert their communities if a student or teacher catches coronavirus. They must also notify everybody who had close contact with that person.

Parents can help by checking their student's temperature every morning. They should only go to school if they don't have a fever, Salmon noted.

"We’ve always been working toward the goal of safely reopening," Salmon said. "However, the imminent safety and health of students and staff must and always be the first priority."

School districts must submit their plans for the upcoming school year to the state board of education by Aug. 14. Nine of Maryland's 24 jurisdictions have already submitted plans calling for online classes.

Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Charles County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County and Washington County have all committed to starting the year virtually. Somerset County has agreed in principle to start the year online, but its board of education has not yet finalized its plan. No district has asked for permission to return to school in the fall, though the option only officially became available Wednesday evening.

Salmon is optimistic that students will be able to recover from the lost classroom time, even if their classes are online-only. She said the state board of education has secured $100 million in coronavirus relief money to help tutor students most affected by the time away from schools.

The move online is slightly different from what the state teachers union called for earlier this month. On July 14, the Maryland State Education Association hosted a virtual meeting with the state PTA and the Baltimore Teachers Union to reveal its preference for starting the school year with distance-learning.

More than 80 percent of MSEA members are concerned about the student motivation, participation, internet access and mental health implications of online classes, according to two association-sponsored polls. The same polls reported that the majority of its members "strongly support reduced class sizes, [personal protective equipment] for educators and students, and additional mental health staff as prerequisites to reopening schools."

"The pandemic has exacerbated inequity and trauma that existed widely before the pandemic shuttered schools," Cheryl Bost, the association's president, said in an online statement. "These polls clearly show that educators and the public know that we need to protect school funding and the health of our educators and students. Our kids have waited too long for equity in education, and now more than ever we must act to give all of our students the opportunities and support that they deserve."

Salmon plans to address the educational gaps by directing more than $100 million of coronavirus aid to technology and connectivity. The state board of education is sending that money to school systems based on their population.

The funds will help schools buy devices for students to use during distance-learning. Some of the money will also pay to strengthen broadband networks in western Maryland, the eastern shore and the southern parts of the state.

Altogether, the state board of education has collected more than $225 million in coronavirus relief. That money comes from the CARES Act, a federal stimulus package passed in March to help businesses and localities survive the pandemic.

"We know that longstanding gaps in educational opportunity and access have been further exposed and widened by COVID-19," Salmon said. "Our goal with these resources is to give local school systems the support and flexibility to focus on and prioritize students most impacted during this crisis."

Maryland has 80,172 confirmed coronavirus cases. The virus has killed 3,276 Marylanders. There are 505 residents currently hospitalized with the virus.

Maryland's seven-day positivity rate sits at 4.49 percent. The weekly average rate has not eclipsed 5 percent since June 24, and it hasn't passed 10 percent since June 1.

Maryland schools have been closed since Salmon shut them down in March.

RELATED:

• It's Unsafe To Return To School This Fall, Maryland Teachers Say
• Classes Will Be Online This Fall, Anne Arundel Schools Say
• Reopening Baltimore City Public Schools Will Be Virtual This Fall
• Baltimore County Public Schools Moves Classes Online Until 2021
• HCPSS Students Will Not Return To Classroom This Fall
• MCPS Plans To Start 2020-2021 School Year Entirely Online
• Classes Will Be Online Until 2021, Prince George's Schools Say
• MD Coronavirus Trends 'Stable,' Hogan Says, As City Limits Dining

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.