VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — School leaders across the country are trying to decide what the upcoming school year will be like amid the pandemic. 13News Now reached out to one of the largest school systems in the state to see what school years have planned.
“The chances are really good that we are going back to school. It’s what that looks like that I can’t quite figure out yet,” explained Virginia Beach City Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Spence.
There are three scenarios school leaders are considering.
Opinion 1: Schools reopen and introduce a new normal for in-person instruction.
Option 2: Students head back to school with social distancing guidelines, but this plan also includes remote learning.
Option 3: Schools would remain closed, as they have been since March 17, with students continuing online learning.
Dr. Spence said school leaders won’t make a decision overnight.
"We understand parents want to plan and need to plan so we don’t want to drag this out until a week before school starts but we also want to see what happens," Dr. Spence said.
One question many people are asking is how will students social distance on a school bus? Dr. Spence says it’s a complicated issue especially because of a lack of funding.
“The best practice would be physical distancing of six feet on the bus which would mean significant reduction of the ridership and having to look at how we schedule our buses and transport students,” he said.
Dr. Spence said he talked with parents and teachers who are ready to get back to school, while some people are hesitant. He said he’s taking everything into consideration.
“All we can do is make our best recommendations and try and do what we think is right for our kids and live with that,” Spence explained.
School board members are discussing the proposed reopening plan at their informal meeting Tuesday night. They will also discuss it in more detail at their July retreat.