(Headline USA) With the mainstream media hyping the omicron variant, the return to school from winter break will be different than planned.
Many schools are bringing back masking mandates—some requiring N95 masks—or requiring daily testing.
School and elected leaders say they are using the experience of the past two years to find solutions without shutting down long-term, causing further harm to students learning and well-being.
Pressure from parents and teachers unions has added to the urgency surrounding safety measures as omicron—which has proven mostly harmless—cases rise.
“They say kids do well (if infected), but who’s to say my kid is not going to be that one,” said parent Rebecca Caldwell, who is considering petitioning her Charleston, Illinois, district for a remote option that would let her keep her four sons, ages 17, 10, 7 and 5, home through the winter.
Different schooling systems have taken different approaches to solving this problem—New York City is providing 2 million at-home test kits to students, Chicago announced the purchase of 100,000 laptops in case they are needed for remote learning, and Los Angeles is tightening masking and testing requirements for students and staff.
“The goal remains to keep all schools open for in-person learning five days a week throughout the 2021-22 school year and beyond,” U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a message to schools. He said 99% of schools were open in-person in December, compared with 46% last January.
Out of more than 13,000 school districts nationwide, relatively few have announced plans to start remotely after winter break.
Like Newark, those districts generally plan to resume in-person instruction within a couple weeks. They include Cleveland, Ohio; Prince George’s County, Maryland; Mount Vernon, New York; Taos, New Mexico; Chester County, South Carolina; and several New Jersey school systems.
In Florida’s Miami-Dade County, where one in four people was testing positive for the virus, the school system announced Thursday that all employees, volunteers and visitors will be required to wear face coverings at schools and facilities, and students will be strongly encouraged to wear them. A state law prevents school districts from imposing mask mandates for students.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
