Students in Delaware will be physically returning to schools this fall—at least part of the time.
State officials announced Tuesday Delaware will employ a hybrid between in-person and online learning to start the school year.
Districts and charters are able to craft individual plans based on their ability to follow state guidelines on how to control the spread of the virus. Those plans are still being finalized.
State Medical Director Dr. Rick Hong says all districts and charters will have a public health liaison to help ensure compliance.
“We understand the importance for individual schools to consider their own situations, specifically for their operations as well as their planning efforts,” said Hong.
Hong adds districts and charters have the option to be more restrictive with in-person learning if they choose, but are not encouraged to be less restrictive and omit the online learning option.
Some school districts are delaying the start of the school year, including Brandywine, Caesar Rodney, Indian River and Milford. And some schools are planning an entirely online curriculum such as William Penn High in the Colonial School District.
The First State has put a portion of its CARES Act funding towards adding internet towers, particularly in the western part of the state, to ensure students have a good connection for online learning.
“We are in much better shape today than we were when we had to suddenly pivot into remote learning situations back in March,” said Education Secretary Susan Bunting.
Delaware’s statewide teachers union recently came out in favor of an exclusively online learning curriculum to start the school year.
But Gov. John Carney says most of the teachers he’s spoken with are anxious to get back with their students on an in-person basis.
“And that’s why I think it’s our job, my job as governor, the job of the folks at the Division of Public Health, to show that we can do it and can do it in a safe way so that teachers and staff, educators have the confidence to go back into the classroom,” said Carney.
The state recently bought 20,000 Vault saliva-based COVID-19 tests that can be administered at home. Those are meant for both students and faculty in Delaware schools. The state has stated the goal of testing all faculty before returning to school and at least once a month going forward.
“The importance of testing is there, but we also need to make sure the infection control measures are being complied,” said Hong. “So if we’re not social distancing, we’re not wearing face coverings as appropriate, we’re not performing appropriate hand hygiene, testing doesn’t matter because the infection is going to spread.”