Here are the reopening plans for 18 local school divisions

Schools have been looking at ways to safely bring more students back

ROANOKE ,Va. – 10 News is working for you, tracking what local school districts are planning to do for the rest of the school year.

This list was compiled before Gov. Ralph Northam’s announcement Friday saying students need to be offered some form of in-person learning by March 15.

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We will continue to update this list as we get new information. You can email news@wsls.com with questions or updates.

Buena Vista City Public Schools

The school division is looking at the possibility of increasing grades 4 -12 to four days a week from two days a week. PreK to 3rd grade students have been full time since August 11. The division plans to see what happens in the coming month.

Carroll County Public Schools

The school division has returned to in-person instruction for all students four days a week. Wednesdays are still virtual learning days. Students still have the option of attending the virtual-learning program “Cavaliers Connected”.

Craig County Public Schools

Craig County has been operating the following schedule since the beginning of the school year:

  • Craig County High School: In-person instruction two days/week and virtual the other days
  • Craig County Middle School: In-person instruction four days/week and virtual on Fridays
  • McCleary Elementary School: Beginning in the second semester (Jan. 20), McCleary Elementary School students attend 5 days/week.

All students still have the option of virtual education.

Danville Public Schools

The School Division is continuing with our hybrid plan for second semester. Some of our students have chosen virtual instruction and some have chosen face-to-face.

Franklin County Public Schools

  • High school students will remain virtual until Feb. 15. During this time, the high school will notify all students who are turning from virtual learning or new enrollees, if they are on an A or B-Day schedule. Current high school students will keep their original A or B-Day schedules until the end of the third 9 weeks, March 26. More info will be provided after the March School Board meeting.
  • The Eighth-grade students will return to 4-days a week (M, Tu, Thu, F) beginning Feb. 15
  • PreK-7th grade will continue with 4-days a week (M, Tu, Th, F)
  • On Wednesdays, all PreK-12th grade students will continue to participate in virtual learning

Halifax County Public Schools

The school division hopes to have PK-3 return to in-person learning on Feb. 16. The plan is to then move more students in-person after that.

Henry County Public Schools

The school division has been closely following local COVID data as well as division percent positive and quarantine rates since returning from winter break and is happy to note that trends show that schools are able to move toward reopening for hybrid instruction on March 10.

Students will have the option to return to hybrid instruction or to remain virtual learners.

Just like the fall semester, a student may move between the formats as needed based on individual circumstances.

Any student needing to move between hybrid and virtual instruction should speak with his/her principal.

Similar to the fall hybrid instruction plan, students in PreK and first grade, as well as students in specialized classes will be scheduled to attend four days per week rather than two. For planning purposes, students who previously attended four days per week should notify their principal if they only wish to attend two days per week.

Lexington City Schools

Lexington City Schools students returned to in-person learning on Monday, Feb. 1st. Students in K-8 who elect in-person will attend school Monday-Thursday with Friday as a designated at-home learning day. Families who elect to remain virtual have the option to do so.

Martinsville City Public Schools

Martinsville has been all virtual since March 2020, when schools shut down for in-person learning. The superintendent said that once teachers have been vaccinated, the school division is looking at bringing students back to the classroom starting with early learners, students with special needs and English learners. Teachers had the option to be vaccinated on Feb. 2 for their first dose.

Pre-K, kindergarten, ELL and special needs students will be back on March 8.

Montgomery County Public Schools

Staying where it is at with four half days in-person each week for all grade levels.

Nelson County Public Schools

Nelson County is currently still virtual with a tentative hybrid return for PK-3 on Feb. 15. No changes have been made to date.

North Cross School

North Cross has been open since September. “We are masked, socially distanced, and test our students every two weeks to prevent spread of virus. To date, we have done more than 5,000 tests and have had no outbreaks in the classroom. If schools are socially distanced and masked, transmission of the disease is possible but not very likely,” said Chris Proctor, head of school.

Pittsylvania County Public Schools

Currently, Pittsylvania County has students participating in-person utilizing a hybrid model. Students in grades PreK through 3, special education students, and English-language learners (ECC) attend in-person four days per week. Students in grades 4-12 attend two days per week on an A-B day format. Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. Parents also have the option for students to participate in a fully remote format. They have utilized this modality since Sept. 28.

“We are presently reviewing guidance from the State and planning work with anticipation of bringing in more students in-person provided that we can do so safely and in compliance with current CDC and VDH guidelines,” in an email to 10 News.

Pulaski County Public Schools

Planned to return all students four days per week beginning Feb. 3, 2021.

Radford City Schools

By Feb. 19, all students declare their learning model for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. Students and families will have two models to choose from either four days a week of face-to-face in the school building or learn remotely (asynchronous) at home four days a week.

Superintendent Rob Graham said “We anticipate approximately two-thirds of our school population returning to the face to face model on this day. Look for more information regarding the return to 4 days a week in the near future.”

Roanoke City Public Schools

The school division’s current plans are on its reopening page: https://rcps.info/news/what_s_new/re-opening_schools.

Superintendent White said during a recent School Board Workshop, they are in the planning stages now for the fourth quarter so they can have the conversations with the task force, with our teachers, focus groups, and others.

Roanoke County Public Schools

Roanoke County is continuing with its current plans. The school divison started the school year with grades PK-2 in full-time, in-person instruction.

In late October, added third grade.

On Jan. 25, they added fourth grade.

“At this point, we’re are pretty much at the limit of our capacity while maintaining six-foot distancing. If we are able to reduce that physical distance, then we may be able to make some additional changes. We continue to work with the health department on our plans,” said a school spokesperson in an email to 10 News.

Salem City Schools

“We have offered the in-person option in Salem since the start on Aug. 31, 2020. The Salem City School Division is currently meeting the VDOE/Governor’s expectations for in-person learning and has been since schools opened last August. We will continue to do so while also observing the recommendations for maintaining physical distancing and face coverings,” said a school spokesperson in an email to 10 News. “We are still on our same plan, which has worked well and allowed us to adhere to the 6-foot social distancing in our uniquely designed buildings. If the recommendation for physical distancing changes, allowing us to increase the number of students who can attend school safely, we are well-positioned to transition to higher levels of student attendance. We recognize that online learning has been a struggle for many and, as a result, we are implementing plans to assist these students with more “face-to-face” learning opportunities.

Wythe County Public Schools

Wythe County resumed to in-person instruction for four days a week with Wednesday still a virtual day for all.


About the Author:

You can see Jenna weekday mornings at the anchor desk on WSLS 10 Today from 5-7 a.m. She also leads our monthly Solutionaries Series, where we highlight the creative thinkers and doers working to make the world a better place.