In its first statewide poll, Virginia political consulting firm War Room Strategies found nearly half of likely voters believe that their local school boards and superintendents — not the CDC, President Trump, or Gov. Ralph Northam — should be most responsible for providing options to parents on reopening schools.
And, as many school systems plan to return to 100% virtual learning in the fall, similar to what students experienced following the coronavirus lockdown in March, 44% of those polled disapprove of their local school system’s plans, while 30% strongly disapprove.
In Virginia’s First Congressional District, which includes Prince William and Stafford counties, the numbers were a little tighter with 38% of parents disapproving, and 34% approving.
Qasim Rashid, a Democrat running to unseat longtime Republican District representative Rob Wittman, stressed that Virginians should listen to the experts and local officials on how schools should reopen safely.
“I agree with the majority of 1st District voters that we must listen to experts and our local officials on how to reopen schools safely and I implore the Federal Government to lead by setting a good example…Rashid penned in an email. “I am the child of educators as well as the father of two Stafford Public School students. So I am personally invested in the health and safety of all of the students, educators, administrators, staff, and our 1st District community-at-large.”
To the north in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, the numbers were just as tight-with 42% disapproving, 38% approving of school division’s plans to institute virtual learning. Republican Congressional Candidate Aliscia Andrews, who’s running to unseat district representative Jennifer Wexton, a Democrat, said parents should be given a choice on whether their child receives virtual classes or a mix of virtual or in-person classes.
“Parents have the right to find alternative solutions to the current education mess. But, what about children with parents that can’t afford neighborhood co-ops to hire teachers or personal private tutors?” asked Andrews posted to Twitter. “Schools need to open with safety protocols in place, and no child should be left behind because of poor policy and zip codes.”
Catholic schools to reopen for in-person education
The poll comes as the Arlington Diocese plans to send students back to class in person. A total of 17,000 Catholic school students in the region will return to classes on August 26, and about 2,250 of them live in Prince William and Stafford counties.
“We are working with every school (37 parish and four high schools) as they prepare a reopening plan for their school community that covers everything from how the school schedule has been adjusted to enhanced health/safety and cleaning protocols,” diocese spokesman Billy Atwell states in email. “We have collaborated with schools and parishes to fully understand and comply with state employee health and safety mandates.”
The school system has received a flood of requests from parents who want to send their children back to class, and there’s now a waiting list to get into some schools of well over 100 students, said Atwell.
“As someone who attended Catholic schools for nine years in the Diocese of Arlington, I strongly disagree with any of these schools holding all in-person learning this fall. If even one kid or staffer gets COVID-19 because of this, the buck stops at the top,” Virginia Delegate Danica Roem posted to her Twitter account.
School teachers in the Arlington Diocese will return to school buildings on August 17.
Earlier this week, Stafford County revered its plans to offer a hybrid education model that allowed students to attend in-person classes and virtual classes. The division’s 29,500 students will head to class virtually on August 31, while some volunteer students and staff could return to the classroom by October 1.
School leaders in Prince William County opted to send the division’s 92,000 students back to class virtually for the first nine weeks of schools. By October, some students, including those in special education classes, could make a return to the classroom.
