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This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
Fairfax County Public Schools will be returning to five days a week of in-person learning in the fall.
The school division said it used its “safe, steady, ready” approach to successfully transition eight cohorts of students and staff across all grade levels to in-person instruction. By March 19, more than 109,000 students will have returned for in-person learning, while keeping in-school COVID-19 transmission rates low.
With the success of the spring return to school effort, school officials say they are optimistic that it can return all students who wish to return five days a week in-person in the fall.
“We have shown that we can return our students and staff to our buildings in a way that is safe and steady. We are confident that we can deliver on a five-day return for all students in the fall, knowing that, while we can adapt to any situation, in-person learning really is the best option for our students and staff,” Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand said in a news release.
The school division will continue to monitor updated health guidance, will investigate additional PPE resources and safety protocols, continue to analyze the potential for COVID-19 testing, and prepare schools for changing social distancing mandates as social distancing is reduced from 6 feet to 3 feet.
Many of the 25 high schools have already begun to conduct student activities in-person, including band, dance, and theater, and several schools are planning to phase in more activities as students return to our buildings throughout March. The school system participated in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) winter sports season, which saw six high schools win team championships and 13 individual students be named champions, while athletes followed VHSL guidelines for mitigation protocols.
