"I know it sounds complicated, but it’s not."
As students return to schools across Florida, state officials acknowledge it’s inevitable that some of them or their teachers will carry COVID-19 into classrooms.
“The reality is that all of you are likely to have a COVID case,” education commissioner Richard Corcoran told superintendents in a conference call last week.
Look no further than Martin County on the Atlantic coast for an example. Schools in that district reopened on Tuesday, and had students quarantined by Thursday.
The question is, how will the schools respond? Pinellas County superintendent Mike Grego, as head of Florida’s superintendents association, has asked the state for standardized protocols to make the decisions easier.
Department of Education officials are working on guidelines, spokeswoman Taryn Fenske said. In the meantime, Corcoran has given the superintendents some principles to follow if they have students or staff with symptoms or positive test results.
They’re based on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desire to keep schools open if at all possible, and to act “surgically” when incidents arise. They include touching base with the state before making a decision.
“Before you get to the point of closing a classroom, we want to have that conversation with you,” Corcoran told the superintendents, adding that he will provide several top officials’ cell phone numbers for easier contact.
Read more at the Tampa Bay Times