Gov. Jim Justice says his administration will soon unveil a way to measure whether the rate of coronavirus spread will allow for the reopening of schools, but the governor also said reopening decisions should be left to local school system leaders.
“Local control should rule, and that is what we’re going to do,” Justice said. “Local input is going to rule the day.”
School systems around the state have been producing plans for students to return at a target date Sept. 8. Most are offering options to families, who must choose.
The governor has said he wants to return to classrooms while assuring the health of students, teachers and staff.
Justice has described a color-coded map that would depict whether the level of virus spreading in counties would allow school to remain open. But the factors to determine whether a community’s status is red, orange, yellow or green haven’t yet been revealed.
“I’m awaiting all kinds of information coming from the Department of Ed,” Justice said today. “I expect that information to flow back to me by the end of the week.
“It is a culmination of a lot, a lot of information that’s going to give us guidance on how we’re going to be able to under local, local control, we’re going to be able to reopen our schools and we’re going to be able to be flexible, fluid and close our schools when we have to.”
In a separate meeting of the state Board of Education, schools Superintendent Clayton Burch indicated the standard would be a 7-day rolling average, “not a yo-yo number,” for communities. He suggested it would be updated twice a week.
“It’s where we get to orange and red that decisions have to be made,” Burch told state school board members.
Being shown as red or orange wouldn’t necessarily mean a long-term closure, Burch said, but it would mean shutting down classrooms until mitigation measures have been achieved.
Coronavirus response coordinator Clay Marsh and Bill Crouch, secretary of health and human resources, are preparing to present the measurement system to the governor late this week, Burch said.
Burch said he is often asked whether 55 counties will really open on Sept. 8.
“Sept. 8 is quite a ways away,” Burch said, noting the uncertainty of the entire situation.
“But the fact of the matter is, we have counties preparing that have to have a contingency plan.”
He described the efforts when schools abruptly closed last spring as “triage” but said the plans coming in from counties “are much more robust.”
“We continue to hear ‘Why don’t we just start the year with remote learning?'” Burch said. He concluded, “This idea of closing schools and resorting to remote learning is a big, big mistake.”
Because different communities have different resources, including access to high-speed internet, starting the school year from home would result in disparities.
“We just don’t have the means for every child to participate virtually right now,” Burch said.
Board member Debra Sullivan sought assurance that state officials are examining local plans carefully.
“I’m trusting and I’m sure you’re going to reassure us the plans are being scrutinized,” Sullivan said.
Burch assured her that some have been sent back for a greater level of detail.
Justice said local leaders have responsibility for the return to school in their own communities.
“So we’re still full-steam ahead to go forward but everybody around, while they’re full steam ahead, everybody around is looking and watching and worried and able to pivot and able to be fluid in what we decide and do,” Justice said.