Stafford delays school start date, looks at mixing in-person and virtual learning

Three schedule options across all grade levels have been drafted and would result in a school year that is entirely virtual or both virtual and in-person. If it is both virtual and in-person, there would be two-different groups of students who would alternate on a daily or bidaily basis between virtual and in-person learning.

"[Both virtual and in-person learning] creates consistency for students and families," stated school board documentation.

The school division anticipates being in phase three of Gov. Ralph Northam's reopening plan by the time the school year starts. This would entail more in-person instruction for all students, remote instruction to supplement in-person learning, strict social distancing measures, and childcare offered before and after school. According to a survey conducted by the school division, 65% of parents want as much in-person instruction as possible, and 27% would like the option of a virtual-only model. To meet the social distancing requirements for in-person education, Stafford County Schools would have to maintain "six feet separation to the greatest extent possible," according to the Virginia Department of Education guidelines. This could result in staggering schedules, ridding classrooms of excess furniture, repurposing spaces in the school buildings, increasing the number of daily bus routes from 462 to 571, and only allowing less than one-third of normal capacity on school buses.

"The lowest risk would be six-feet of social distancing on the bus," said Superintendant Scott Kizner.

Students may also have to consume lunch within their classrooms, wear face coverings, and practice routine hand hygiene and health screenings. Staff may additionally be equipped with in-classroom sanitation and coronavirus training, as well as have to attend mandated annual training remotely. If it is suspected that a student or staff member has the coronavirus during the school day, there will be a protocol established that creates clinical isolation rooms to separate sick students/staff, a control clinic traffic to prevent potential exposures, and a separate protocol for recovered students to return to school.

"We want to be very good partners with parents in helping them understand the importance of keeping children at home who should not be at school," said Kizner.

It is estimated that establishing all the aforementioned procedures will cost the school division $4.75 million. This factors in $1.25 million enhanced cleaning costs, $2.1 million additional transportation costs, $1.14 million supply costs (masks, thermometers), $160,000 in meal distribution costs, and $100,000 in additional counselor hours. This being said, not all parents are keen about them returning to school. According to a survey taken by the school division, 61.5% plan to have their students return to school, 35.3%  will decide based on the adopted learning model, and 3.3% (306) will not return at all.

"Once we really land on our plan, we really go back to parents and say 'please let us know you're coming,' because that's going to be critical for us to get our routes right and to get our classrooms right," said Superintendant Kizner.