The guidelines previously required kids to stay 6 feet apart while in the classroom; however, that recommended distance is now just 3 feet. It’s a sign of good news for some school districts as many are expanding their in-person learning and welcomed more kids back to class Monday. With about 190 students at Callahan Elementary School in Alleghany County, the school district said CDC’s new changes give the district more flexibility in the classrooms. Trying to redesign classrooms to accommodate the 6f eet distance rule is a struggle for many school districts. “Now the CDC is helping us out a little bit,” explained Alleghany School Board Chairman Jacob Wright.

Ralph Northam made it clear that all state public school systems must offer some form of in-person learning by mid-March. In Southwest Virginia, most systems have long offered in-person instruction. The governor’s visit underscored the progress systems like Giles County have made in ensuring students are served. That’s really the hope/light at the end of a long dark tunnel.”AdIn Giles, 70% of teachers have been vaccinated. Over 60% of all teachers in the state have been vaccinated, according to the Governor.

ROANOKE, Va. – Gov. Ralph Northam signed the “Remote Learning” bill this week, which allows unscheduled remote learning during inclement weather and emergency situations that prevent in-person learning. Delegate Joe McNamara, who represents parts of the Roanoke and New River valleys, introduced the bill to the House of Delegates and state Sen. David Suetterlein, who represents much of Southwest Virginia, introduced an identical bill in the Senate. Both bills state that no school division can use more than 10 unscheduled remote learning days in a school year unless the superintendent of public instruction grants an extension. AdThe measure takes effect July 1.

Roanoke County votes to allow high school sports in limited capacityROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – More students in Roanoke County will be able to return to in-person learning. Over the course of the next month, hybrid students in grades 5-12 will be going from a two-day in-person hybrid schedule to a four-day in-person hybrid schedule. Students who are fully online can elect by March 15 to return to in-person learning; however, requests will only be approved if there is space available. Students who are hybrid but want to go fully online now can elect to do that as well. The school division plans to make the new schedules work based on 3-foot social distancing and mask-wearing.

CARROLL COUNTY, Va. – Carroll County Public Schools is the latest district to announce a full-time return to the classroom for students. All grade levels will be offered in-person five days a week starting March 15. Currently, the county operates 4 days a week with Wednesday as virtual. Dr. Mark Burnette, the County Superintendent, says all students have the option to remain virtual except those with failing grades. Carroll County has been fortunate to avoid any major outbreaks in their buildings, the superintendent says.

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Senate has given final approval to legislation that would require schools to provide full-time, in-person instruction as the coronavirus pandemic drags on. The chamber voted 36-3 Thursday, sending the measure sponsored by GOP Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant to Gov. The bill would require districts to offer a full-time, in-person option for students, with limited exceptions. If a school has high levels of coronavirus transmission, it could temporarily revert to virtual learning. The bill also says school districts “may” provide fully remote virtual instruction, under certain conditions.

CHRISTIANSBURG, VA. – Students in Montgomery County schools will be back in the classroom four days a week starting in March. Tuesday’s vote came after about three hours of discussion and some outright bickering amongst school board members. AdThe board delayed the vote earlier this month to allow time for a community survey for parents, students and staff. The dissenting board members argued that the majority of teachers voted against moving to the next phase of in-person teaching. “I’m really sick and tired of living in an environment where we have to be pitted against each other, whether it was board members to board members, teachers to parents,” Gunin Kiran said.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – After months of virtual learning, Martinsville City Public Schools are planning to reopen their doors. On March 8, preschoolers, kindergartners, special population students and English Learners will be able to return to in-person classes. “I want everybody back in school too but we want it with the caveat we want them back safe,” Martinsville City Schools Superintendent Zebedee Talley Jr. told 10 News earlier this month. AdThe students will get packets from their schools with information on scheduling and transportation. Those who aren’t signed up for in-person learning will not receive a packet.

HALIFAX COUNTY, VA – Students in Halifax County returned to the classroom for the first time in nearly a year on Monday. Students were originally supposed to return last week; however, weather and power outages caused schools to remain closed until Friday. Monday was the first-time Pre-K through 3rd grade students had been in their classroom since the pandemic first started closing schools last March. I mean, it was parents dropping them off and us checking temperatures and you can see that now on students’ faces that they were somewhat apprehensive,” said Halifax County Schools Superintendent Mark Lineburg. The county hopes to start bringing back older students over the next several weeks while following guidance from the governor’s office.

RADFORD, Va. – Radford City Schools will open all buildings to all students who choose to participate in face-to-face learning beginning March 1. “Now that we’ve had our vaccinations and we’re getting better reports about lower case numbers in Radford and the New River Valley, we are excited to welcome those who want to come back four days a week,” said Superintendent Robert Graham. “Yes, you’re right at our elementary school in particular and you mentioned the construction at McHarg. That’s been hard to have two schools in one and make that physical distancing work.”AdThe school system is asking families to complete a survey that will help them revise bus routes, plan for school meals and ensure that mitigation strategies can remain in place regardless of the number of students and staff in the buildings. Click here to read the full release and for survey links.

Teachers across Virginia are getting COVID-19 vaccines in the hopes of getting more students back in the classroom. One person sick is too many people sick for me.”AdMeanwhile, others like Salem City Schools have a hybrid approach. “I think it makes sense that local health departments have some discretion so they can tailor their recommendations to their area but it does add to the difficulty when one health district’s doing one thing and one health district’s doing another thing,” said Seibert. In fact, we were basically where we were last year.”Talley says Martinsville City Schools is planning to bring pre-k, kindergarten, English learners and special needs students back by March 8. We have a list of what local schools are doing with the new guidance to get kids back in the classroom here.

This school year has been a difficult one for many and with Gov. Ralph Northam’s recent directive to have students inside schools by next month, the Virginia Department of Education is taking action. On Wednesday, Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane announced the formation of a workgroup of educators, school administrators, mental health professionals, parents and leaders of community organizations. The Virginia LEARNS workgroup will assess the needs of students and support Virginia school divisions as they look to have in-person learning options available for students by Northam’s March 15 deadline. Smyth County Superintendent Dennis Carter, Franklin County Superintendent Bernice Cobbs, Chesapeake Superintendent Jared Cotton and Newport News Public Schools Chief of Staff Rashard Wright will also serve in leadership roles.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Feeling left out of the school return conversation, two Blacksburg High School seniors collected their own data through an online survey. Looking for input, Lauren Collver and Molly McPherson asked students how they felt about leaving the hybrid learning model. After receiving nearly 270 responses in a few days, almost 75% said they do not want to switch to fully in-person learning. About 1,200 students attend the high school. Based on the written responses, Collver said most students are worried about switching so late in the year when the school year is almost over.

AdCarroll County Public SchoolsThe school division has returned to in-person instruction for all students four days a week. Wednesdays are still virtual learning days. Current high school students will keep their original A or B-Day schedules until the end of the third 9 weeks, March 26. Roanoke County Public SchoolsRoanoke County is continuing with its current plans. The school divison started the school year with grades PK-2 in full-time, in-person instruction.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – More Lynchburg students are choosing to return to the classroom for the second semester. Amy Pugh, the school district’s deputy superintendent, said about 62% of students are enrolled in the hybrid module, compared to 55% last semester. Meanwhile, Lynchburg City Schools is working to improve virtual learning by providing more than 400 hotspot devices to families, as well as iPads for younger students. Students who may be struggling in their studies will also have more opportunities for support, including live-chat virtual tutoring and extended deadlines to complete assignments.

PULASKI COUNTY, Va. – Next week, Pulaski County teachers, students and staff will be back in school buildings. Starting Feb. 3, students will return to 100% in-person learning, according to a Facebook post by Pulaski County Public Schools. Tuesday, March 23 will be a virtual day while Wednesday, March 24 will be an in-person learning day. Pulaski County Public Schools Plan for the Second Semester- 1. Also, both Pulaski County middle and high schools will have a new bell schedule to avoid double blocked classes.

WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – Soon, students, teachers and school staff in Wythe County will be back in the classroom. The Wythe County School Board voted on Jan. 14 to return to in-person learning, five days a week, with a 2 p.m. daily dismissal beginning Monday, Jan. 25. In the Facebook post announcing the vote, the district noted that students who choose to stay fully virtual will still have that option. [Where are Virginia’s coronavirus cases? The health department’s interactive map]To keep everyone in the school buildings safe from the coronavirus, all safety mitigation strategies for in-person learning will remain in effect.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – A major factor in fully reopening Virginia schools is COVID-19 vaccine distribution. As Governor Ralph Northam laid out his expectations for reopening schools across the state, some superintendents were left with questions. “Is there any room to re-look at the mitigation efforts we have in place such as the six-foot physical distancing?” said Roanoke County Public Schools superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely. Some school systems like Roanoke County have had students back in the classroom and are preparing to welcome more. “We’ve now maximized our available staff and space to have as many students in-person as possible,” said Nicely.

Ralph Northam on Thursday afternoon. Ralph Northam announced that it’s time to begin working to get students back in the classroom safely. The Virginia Department of Education released its new guidance for schools at 3 p.m. on Thursday. The emphasis will change from “school should be closed” to “schools need to be open,” according to Northam. 10 News reported Northam would announce this change last week; however, the VDOE later rolled back that statement.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – As in-person learning resumes this week in Lynchburg, not everyone is happy about it. One parent started an online petition against the city’s ‘Return to Learn’ initiative due to concerns about rising COVID-19 cases. “We just want what’s best and what is needed – not wanted but needed. Everybody in the world wants to go back to work. Everybody in the world wants to go back into the classroom and be with their students, be with their teachers, and go back to life as normal.

HENRY COUNTY, Va. – Henry County plans to resume its hybrid learning, it’s just not clear when that will happen. On Monday, the school division announced that it would “postpone its return to hybrid instruction until cases in our community have improved significantly.”Because it is critical for our students to receive high quality instruction each day, it is our goal to ensure that... Posted by Henry County Public Schools on Monday, January 11, 2021In early November, the school division switched to fully virtual learning, planning to return to in-class learning on Jan. 19. Along with delaying the return to hybrid learning, winter activities and competitions will be postponed until hybrid instruction resumes.

These conversations are ongoing and we expect to issue updated guidance in the near future, but Governor Northam is not planning on announcing any changes to the current guidance tomorrow. Charles Pyle, Director of Media Relations for the Virginia Department of EducationNortham will address Virginians during a coronavirus update at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. In October, middle school and high school students in Franklin County switched to all-virtual learning because of community spread and difficulties in staffing. Charles Pyle, Director of Media Relations for the Virginia Department of Education10 News will air the governor’s update live on-air, on wsls.com, our Facebook page and our mobile app. You can read the current Virginia Department of Education COVID guidelines here.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – As the coronavirus continues to spread across Virginia, another area school district will be virtual until next year. Lynchburg City Schools announced Monday that for the remainder of the week, all learning will be virtual. [Where are Virginia’s coronavirus cases? The hardest-hit group in the school district is the transportation department, which has six of its seven office staff members in quarantine. The school district is going from Phase 3 hybrid to Phase 2 remote.

GILES COUNTY, Va. – Another Southwest Virginia school district is going virtual until 2021. Giles County announced Tuesday that starting Wednesday, students will be learning 100% virtually. [Carroll County schools will shift to virtual amid surge in coronavirus numbers]The decision was made due to the continued challenges of finding coverage for classes within the school buildings and the increase in the number of cases through community spread. With the shift to fully virtual, meal delivery will have a revised schedule as well. Starting next week, a 2-week meal bag will be distributed on Wednesday, December 16th, at the following schools for pick-up only: Narrows High School, Giles High School and Eastern Elementary/Middle School from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm.

Grayson County Schools announced it will continue regular classes indefinitely, with social distancing procedures in place. [Carroll County schools will shift to virtual amid surge in coronavirus numbers]Superintendent Kelly Wilmore believes his school district is safe because of the rural make-up of Grayson County. In total, Grayson County has had 587 COVID-19 cases, with 44 hospitalizations and 22 deaths, according to VDH. She said she understands Wilmore’s decision because children may not be able to learn remotely in Grayson County. “We know that in Grayson County, going virtual is not really an option.”Wilmore said he has plans to adjust if an outbreak occurs in Grayson County, but remains confident his kids can make it to the end of the year without having to go virtual.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Another Southwest Virginia school is temporarily going fully virtual. On Friday, Franklin County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bernice Cobbs announced that Franklin County High School will be fully virtual until 2021. [Carroll County schools will shift to virtual amid surge in coronavirus numbers]The school is closing due to community spread of COVID-19 and the difficulty to provide adequate classroom supervision, according to Cobbs. From Dec. 7 until the 22nd, students will be virtual and wouldn’t go back to the classroom until after winter break on Jan. 4, 2021. The county has had a significant rise in cases of COVID-19, according to Cobbs.

CARROLL COUNTY, Va. – One Southwest Virginia school district is preparing to not have its students inside a classroom again until next year, at the earliest. Carrol County Public School Superintendent Dr. Mark Burnette announced Friday that starting Dec. 9, the entire school district will be 100% virtual. [Franklin County High School going 100% virtual until 2021]This decision follows a Thursday meeting of school superintendents across the Mount Rogers Health District with district director Dr. Karen Shelton. That health district contains eight localities: Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington and Wythe counties, as well as the cities of Bristol and Galax. On Friday morning, during an emergency school board meeting in Carroll County, the decision to go completely virtual beginning Dec. 9 was unanimously approved.

HALIFAX COUNTY, Va. – Citing rising regional coronavirus cases and high positivity rates, Halifax County Public Schools leaders voted this week to remain virtual through the end of the semester. Specifically, Dr. Lineburg says health metrics list the area as high risk for COVID-19 spread in the community. “We look at the health matrix every time and we try to be real scientific about it," said Dr. Lineburg. In January, Dr. Lineburg says the board will reconsider their decision to transition students back into the classroom. Dr. Lineburg says families will need to sign up for time slots with some availability on the weekend.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. – Some students in Campbell County couldn’t attend school Monday because of a coronavirus case. On Saturday, the school division learned about a positive case at Tomahawk Elementary School. That school was closed Monday and classes were taught virtually. On Tuesday, the school building will reopen.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Our students, parents and teachers are about a month into the new school year and it’s becoming very clear what works, and what doesn’t. On Thursday night, parents and teachers in Roanoke County expressed their frustrations with the current re-opening plan. The board has heard the issues over a few weeks back, but now said it’s clear there are consistent patterns of what’s working and what’s not. “The emotional toll that this pandemic is obviously taking on not only students but parents and teachers is just heart wrenching," school board member David Linden said. He also added there were many parents and teachers they didn’t hear from Thursday night, which leads him to believe the current setup is working for others.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg City School leaders said they’re ready to bring students back to the classroom even though some teachers disagree. Parents can still choose to keep their children on virtual learning and hybrid students will have the option to return to remote learning. Lynchburg City Schools Deputy Superintendent Amy Pugh said something is missing in education without in-person instruction. The Lynchburg Education Association responded with three major concerns:Safety for Lynchburg City Schools staff and the people they live with. “It’s made it much more difficult than it needed to be," said Lynchburg Education Association President Karl Loos, who teaches at Dunbar Middle School.

ROANOKE, Va. – Tracking COVID-19 outbreaks at childcare centers, K-12 schools and colleges. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) tells 10 News that information should be available at some point but couldn’t tell us exactly when to expect it. He’s concerned about outbreaks at schools like Radford University and James Madison University. Kerkering says it’s better for students to stay where they are and not go home if they are sick to control the spread of the virus. But here’s some good news: right now Kerkering says those cases aren’t spilling over into the greater community.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Va. – Coronavirus cases are on the rise in Virginia and Charlotte County Public Schools are taking extra precautions. The school district announced on Wednesday that it will delay in-person hybrid learning to October 19 because of increasing COVID-19 cases in the county. Due to a dramatic rise in overall COVID-19 cases in Charlotte County, as well as an increase in positive COVID-19 cases... Posted by Charlotte County Public Schools, VA on Wednesday, September 9, 2020The schools brought up concerns in increasing positive cases among school-age children over the past two weeks. Some students including those with disabilities, English language learners and Pre-K through 2nd grade students will be allowed back to school before Oct. 19, if the county’s coronavirus cases improve. For now, Charlotte County Public School students will continue virtual learning.

ROANOKE, Va. Many families are looking for safe ways for their kids to get time with other kids their age. If your kids are going to school online they may be missing out on some of the social time. PODS are a growing concept where families get together to learn or play keeping the circle small and contained to keep the risk of COVID down. They really are social and thats really been the hardest part not being able to socialize. Many working families cant provide transportation to and from a tutoring pod, even if they could afford to pay for the service.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia’s First Lady Pamela Northam kicked off her third annual back-to-school tour on Monday in Blacksburg. The goal of the tour is to highlight the importance of school readiness and the need to expand access to quality early learning. Northam also said it’s important to thank educators and caregivers, who she calls the unsung heroes of this health crisis. They provided care, especially for essential workers and families when they needed it the most. The First Lady’s tour across the commonwealth continues Tuesday in Wise County.

ROANOKE, Va. While students and teachers are preparing for a first day like no other, one Roanoke teacher dropped a virtual PSA Friday that is sure to grab students attention. Kind of like the song, its a work-and-progress, said teacher Eboni Harrington, who reworked the popular Cardi B song, WAPHarringtons lyrics include I teach it up like a superstar. Virtual teaching, yes online...but you got it, you will survive.The song was written by middle teacher Eboni Harrington who also performs the rap. It was a challenge flipping the massively successful and provocative song by rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. For the innovative teacher, it was important to bring everyone together for something positive to prove that even in the virtual space they are still a team.

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – A Pittsylvania County School staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, according to school leaders. The school division said the employee works in one of its cafeterias but did not release his or her name or where he or she works. Superintendent Mark Jones told 10 News that all appropriate health and safety measures were taken with this case. The school began online learning on August 24 and Jones said the school board will review the county’s coronavirus data and make a decision on when students will return to school in-person.

If your family is struggling to get broadband access, there are resources that can help you bridge the gap. In Philadelphia, CARE money will help provide computers and free internet access to 35,000 low-income families. "Our American Experiences Survey from earlier this year showed that it costs an average of $66 a month for broadband internet service," says CR's Schwantes. Internet ProvidersMany internet service providers offer their own assistance programs, so it's worth reaching out to those in your area to review your options. Comcast: The Internet Essentials program provides internet speeds of 25 Mbps, plus WiFi, for $10 a month.

Rather than two weeks of 100% virtual learning, in-person learning will continue on Aug. 31. “My worry is that they won’t go back, that this is going to kind of be the permenant way of the rest of the school year,” Radford City Parent Charlotte Parks said. Parks hopes people in the city use the schools closing as an example of being more careful. While the rest of this week will be fully virtual, starting Aug. 31, the school division’s hybrid schedule will resume. ORIGINAL STORYStudents in Radford City Public Schools, regardless of grade level, will participate in virtual learning for the next two weeks.

New guidance from President Donald Trump’s administration that declares teachers to be “critical infrastructure workers” could give the green light to exempting teachers from quarantine requirements after being exposed to COVID-19 and instead send them back into the classroom. South Carolina health officials also describe teachers as critical infrastructure workers, although it’s unclear if any district there is asking teachers to return before 14 days. Among the first districts to name teachers as critical infrastructure workers was eastern Tennessee’s Greene County, where the school board gave the designation to teachers July 13. At least five other school districts in Tennessee have given the designation to their teachers, seeking to exempt them from quarantine orders. Floyd County said Thursday it would reverse its designation of teachers as critical infrastructure workers.

Radford City Public Schools came up with a video to help. Other McHarg and Belle Heth staff are in the video too. One of those dealt with face coverings as there has been so many differing opinions regarding face coverings as we developed our reopening plans, said Rob Graham, Radfords Superintendent. He says after several days of being in school, the video truly had a positive impact. As I walk around the schools and visit with students and teachers, I have been so impressed and proud of the responsibility and respect that all staff and students are demonstrating by wearing face coverings, said Graham.

ROANOKE, Va. The school year has already started for some schools and other school systems are changing plans last minute. Parents, educators and students are still voicing concerns about the potential effects of the coronavirus pandemic on an in-classroom setting. Just this week, many school systems including Roanoke City, Salem, Bedford County, Appomattox County and Wythe County all changed reopening plans. Fill out the prompt below and you could see your opinion published in our next Classroom Concerns article. Find more background information about where things currently stand with the Virginia education system and the latest education news in our reopening schools section here.

SALEM, Va. Our in depth coverage on reopening schools continues as we sit down with Virginias teacher of the year. The Salem High School teacher shared her views on teachers having a voice in reopening schools and why shes worried about kids this fall. Then all of these amazing opportunities came forward for me to be an advocate.She was invited to be on several work groups for reopening Virginia schools. Johnson says teacher groups and the Virginia Education Association helped lobby for those large areas to keep the teachers safe. This is part of an ongoing in-depth 10 News series looking into reopening schools in Virginia.

WYTHE COUNTY, Va. The school year in Wythe County will now not begin until after Labor Day. On Thursday, the Wythe County School Board approved a plan moving the first day of school from Aug. 24 back 15 days to Tuesday, Sept. 8. In addition, the school division will begin with 100% virtual learning, which will last through at least Oct. 26, the end of the first quarter. At the regularly scheduled Sept. 10 meeting, the school board will receive an update and determine if any other changes need to be made. The school division plans to release more information about its virtual instruction plan soon.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va Montgomery County Public Schools are sharing plans about how teachers and custodians will be disinfecting classrooms throughout the school year. The school division has purchased backpacks to hold cleaner that will be used to spray down each desk. Custodial Manager David Hodges said teachers will clean different surfaces in between classes and custodians will do a deep clean at the end of each school day. The school year is set to begin on Sept. 8. The division is also looking to hire more custodians and is hosting a career fair to fill the positions on Tuesday.

ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City Public Schools released a 53-page document on Thursday providing a better picture of what the upcoming school year could look like. Under this modified plan, most students will participate in virtual instruction for the first nine weeks beginning August 31. Academically vulnerable students, which would include students with disabilities that participate in the special education setting more than 50% of their school dayLevel 1 English LearnersHigh school students from Forest Park Academy and Noel Taylor Learning Academy who may need additional support to graduate at the end of the school year. When Roanoke City outlined the initial plan, the big question was if enough students choose fully online learning to allow others to return to the classroom. The Roanoke City School Board will discuss this at Tuesday’s meeting at William Fleming High School.

AMHERST, Va. Amherst County students will now go back to school after Labor Day, rather than before it. Superintendent Dr. Robert Arnold said the school division needs more time to prepare. In a school board meeting on Thursday night, members voted to have classes start in person on Sept. 9 instead of Aug. 26. Board members also agreed to have teachers begin their planning phase on Aug. 10, rather than Aug. 3. The school board also made it mandatory that all students and staff wear masks on campus.

BLACKSBURG, Va. For Virginia Tech students, there may be a lot of uncertainty heading into the new school year but one thing is certain: if youre going to be living on-campus, youre going to be tested for the coronavirus. Youll be assigned a move in time and a testing time, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said during a virtual town hall Friday. For those who refuse to be tested, their on-campus housing agreement will be canceled, except under certain circumstances. Students living off-campus will not be required to get tested because testing students living off-campus is more complicated, Sands said, but testing will be available through the universitys health center. Maybe the best option is to isolate on campus, Sands said.

ROANOKE, Va. – The water fountains within Roanoke City Schools will remain dry this year, but students will have no issues finding water thanks to an ocean-sized donation. State Farm unloaded a moving van full of 10,000 water bottles at William Fleming High School on Thursday morning. State Farm agent Betsy Thomas said she wanted to ensure children would not have to look far to find water. “If the kids are having recess, if they’re doing sports or are in the band, or if they don’t have water of their own, we’ve got to provide it or the school has got to provide it,” Thomas said. “We just wanted to do our part.”The schools’ water fountains will be shut off this year because of social distancing; however, Roanoke City Public Schools will hand out water to students during both breakfast and lunch.

Tuesday night Lynchburg school leaders called for a special meeting to pick a learning option for students next month. They got voted down ultimately because the school board realizing they we need to have and focus on in student learning,” Glover said. ORIGINALThe Lynchburg City school board voted Tuesday night to approve their original plan to reopen schools. The plan involves PreK-5th grade students attending school in-person two days a week starting on August 24, 2020. The school board could continue their discussion on August 4th at their regular meeting.

ROANOKE, VA. – More than 2,600 people tuned in for a virtual town hall with Roanoke City school leaders on Thursday. White and other staff members hosted the parent forum to answer questions and make themselves available to the community. It covered the spectrum of questions, from virtual learning, to mask wearing, to what happens if an outbreak occurs in a city school. Roanoke teachers will teach both formats. The entire plan hinges on at least 30% of the students choosing the fully online Virtual Academy for the in-person option to be viable.

LYNCHBURG, Va. Some Lynchburg educators are calling for a return to school that is 100% virtual. Other than a few exceptions for students with special needs or IEP teams who determine that in-person instruction is necessary, the Lynchburg Education Association is asking for the fall semester to be held exclusively online. As it stands right now, Lynchburg City Schools will reopen for the fall with a combination of in-building, hybrid and remote learning. There are financial implications of in-person instruction too, according to the LEA. The LEA asks for the school board to make the change to 100% virtual learning prior to staff reporting for work on Aug. 4.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Randolph College students will no be taking classes online after the school made changes to its back to school plan. Under the plan originally sent out, students would have returned to campus for class in the fall. However, college president Bradley Bateman says recent developments forced the school to change course. Because of this, we are not confident the College would be able to remain in-person the entire semester without serious COVID-19-caused disruptions,” said Bateman. In a statement sent out on Thursday, Bateman says that by committing now, he hopes this will give faculty members more time to prepare and eliminate the uncertainty surrounding the fall semester.

ROANOKE, Va. Thousands of families are pulling their children out of school and homeschooling this year. It can really, really be tailored for the child and either the childs wants or needs or both, said Rice. What you want to help your child do is learn how to learn and learn how to love learning, said Miller. There are support groups across Virginia and co-op groups so you can work with other homeschooling families. A really important note, homeschooling is NOT the same thing as all virtual learning from your school system.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. Roanoke County school leaders are coming together with local organizations to try to start a conversation about how to address child care needs during the upcoming school year. That was the focus of Wednesdays school board work session in Roanoke County. Roanoke County School Board members discuss childcare with members of local organizations. Representatives from around a dozen organizations discussed ideas with Roanoke County School Board members. The executive director of the Prevention Council of Roanoke, Nancy Hans, said multiple churches have reached out, asking how they can help.

Roanoke City Public Schools has the following frequently asked questions and answers:For the Virtual Academy, do students have to participate during school hours? If parents/guardians opt for in-person instruction, can students switch to online instruction at any time? If parents/guardians choose the Virtual Academy, can they switch to in-person instruction after the first nine weeks? Is it the same teacher for in-person instruction and virtually? Depends on room size, social distancing guidelines (6′ or 3′ with face covering), desks or tables, etcWill students switch classes?

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va – 5:30 A.M. UPDATEAfter a more than 10-hour meeting on July 21, the school board has decided on a back-to-school plan. Middle and high school students will do virtual learning for the half of the day they are not in school. Elementary school students will only be in school for half days, either in the morning or afternoon, four days a week. ORIGINAL STORYMontgomery County School leaders are outlining what the reopening process will look like for thousands of students, teachers, and staff this fall. The school board does have the right to change the plans at any time before submitting them to the Department of Education.

The poll finds only 8% of Americans say K-12 schools should open for normal in-person instruction. The poll also shows Americans feel the same about colleges and universities reopening this fall. She isn't as worried about her own health but fears that reopening schools could spread the virus to others. The poll finds a majority of Americans, 56%, say they are very or extremely concerned that reopening schools will lead to additional infections in their communities; another 24% are somewhat concerned. In his campaign to reopen schools, Trump has threatened to cut federal funding for schools that fail to reopen fully.

All elementary school students wil be in school Monday through Thursday with block scheduling in placeFor middle and high school students, they will be split into groups. Franklin CountyThe school board has decided that students will go back to school on Sept. 8, but has not made a decision as to how students will return. Middle and high school students will have a hybrid program — half of students will attend school in the morning, and half will attend in the afternoon. Elementary school students will only be in school for half days, either in the morning or afternoon, four days a week. Pulaski CountyElementary school students will be assigned one teacher for reading, math, science and social studiesMiddle school students will do block scheduling and teachers will rotate classrooms.

High school sports across the country are in doubt across the country. Already this week California announced it would delay fall high school sports until spring even as Florida officials decided to press ahead with no changes to its July 27 start. Many of those Texas schools are located in large urban areas that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. Many Texas school districts are already adjusting the calendars for later starts and weeks of online learning to start the school year. Tim Teykl, head coach at Class 6A Alvin High School outside Houston, said he was happy with the delay because it is not a cancellation of the season.

ROANOKE, Va. Many of you are asking What happens if a student gets sick with Coronavirus and has been at school? as you get ready to send your kids back next month. If a student or employee experiences symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, move the individual out of the classroom or group setting, isolate in a predetermined location, and inform the school nurse or school health staff member. School health staff must wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including N-95 face mask or surgical face mask, goggles and gloves before entering into the room to evaluate the individual. The CDC says if a student or employee experiences symptoms of COVID-19 at school, move them out of the classroom or group setting, isolate in a predetermined location and inform the school nurse or school health staff member. School health staff must wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including N-95 face mask or surgical face mask, goggles and gloves before entering into the room to evaluate the individual.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)MITO – Millions more children in the U.S. learned Friday that they're unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic as death tolls reached new highs. The two most populous states each reported roughly 10,000 new cases and some of their highest death counts since the pandemic began. Big numbers in Florida, Arizona and other states also are helping drive the U.S. resurgence that's forcing states to rethink the school year. Gavin Newsom laid out strict criteria for school reopenings that makes classroom instruction unlikely for most districts. When she learned her school district only had two options this fall, in-person or virtual lessons, she decided to keep her kindergarten son home.

The Virginia High School League is no longer considering season proposals with fall high school football included. The decision to push back football was expected by area athletic directors, such as Lord Botetourts Chuck Pound and William Byrds Jason Taylor. I think all of us wish we were playing football in the fall, along with the other fall sports, added Taylor. Model three at least gives all of our teams and all of our students some hope of having a season, Taylor said. However, high school athletics budgets will likely suffer because of the lack of football, according to Pound.

President Donald Trump says the decision to possibly avoid doing so in some areas is more motivated by politics than by legitimate fears about the pandemic. They think its going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed, Trump said at a White House discussion on school plans last week. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday that when the president "says open, he means open in full, kids being able to attend each and every day in their school. Biden promised, if elected, to send to Congress an emergency funding package to help schools prepare for reopening, which could cost as much as $30 billion. The Trump administrations "chaotic and politicized response has left school districts to improvise a thousand hard decisions on their own," Biden's campaign wrote in its five-page roadmap to reopening.

School systems are spending millions of dollars to keep students and staff safe in the fall. School systems are scrambling trying to figure out how they are going to pay for all the changes it will take to re-open schools. For large school systems like Roanoke City with about 14,000 students thats more than $6.8 million. School systems already having to cut teacher raises and other programs to make their budgets work this year. If school systems cant get more money, cuts could be made in some school systems.

SALEM, Va. – We now know what the school year will look like for students and families in Salem. The Salem School Board unanimously approved a reopening plan on Tuesday night that features a “scalable approach” so that school leaders can adjust the plan based on what happens with the COVID pandemic. School leaders said the plan provides flexibility to adjust if conditions or official guidance changes. For example, the plan could be scaled to a scenario where students in grades Pre-K-2 attend school two days a week, students in grades 3-5 attend school one day a week, and students in grades 6-12 attend school two days a week. School leaders said the goal, just like any division, is to get back to 100% in-person instruction.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. In a letter to parents Monday, Roanoke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely said most parents appear to be on board with the reopening proposal presented weeks ago. They like school alight, but they sure do like summer break but theyre ready to be back, said Jenny Hungate, a mother with children in middle school and elementary school. At least until they come up with some vaccine or something, said Chiquanika Tucker, another local momAccording to the teachers union, 75% of parents do not want their kids to return to a face-to-face setting in the fall. There is a lot of anxiety out there, said Tim Summers, president of the teachers union. Were very concerned about the health and safety aspect of it.Superintendent Nicely said in his note Monday, transportation remains an area of concern.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. High school football in April, action on the baseball diamond in October? That could be how high school sports look this upcoming school year. On Tuesday morning, the VHSL, the governing body of Virginia high school sports, announced three different plans to make sports happen. In this plan, fall sports would be played in the spring, and spring sports played in the fall. Plan Three - No sports until DecemberThe final plan would pause the start of high school sports in Virginia until December.

School districts will need to find more buses to allow for more space between children and buy more computers for distance learning. The Council of Chief State School Officers says safely reopening public schools could cost between $158 billion and $245 billion, while the American Federation of Teachers put the figure at $116.5 billion. The school district in Columbus, Ohio, expects to bring back younger students in shifts while having high schoolers take all their classes online. Slaven said the federal government should send at least $200 billion to state education departments and school districts. That's in line with what the Council of Chief State School Officers has called for.

This would be the fifth virus rescue bill since spring, all told an unprecedented federal intervention to counter the times. Senate Republicans are floating some $50 billion to $75 billion in education funds, but talks are still ongoing. This week, GOP Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, along with Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chair of the Health, Education and Labor Committee, proposed child care grants to providers who safely reopen. One uncertainty is how to improve the nation's poor performance on virus testing. Pelosi's bill provides $75 billion more for virus testing and contact tracing, with directives to the federal government to set up a national testing program.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – For the 14th year, the ‘Back2School’ drive will allow students across Southwest Virginia, Texas, North and South Carolina the opportunity to get a new pair of shoes and school supplies. Locations vary across the country and there are some here in Southwest Virginia. Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the event and registration will be “drive-thru style.”Families must register prior to the event so shoe sizes can be documented. The next registration event is Tuesday, July 21 from 6-8 p.m at the following locations:Back2School supplies & shoe giveaway. (www.gob2s.com)On the day of the event, students must be presented to receive the items.

John Bel Edwards, members of the congressional delegation and state health officials to talk about the states response to the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus. While in Baton Rouge, Pence also is planning a discussion at Louisiana State Universitys Tiger Stadium focused on fall college reopening plans and the future of university sports programs in the pandemic. Edwards said that federal support has helped Louisiana reach more than 304,000 virus tests so far in July far surpassing the state's monthly goal of 200,000 administered tests. More than 3,300 Louisiana residents have died from COVID-19, according to the state health department. Louisiana again has moved into the top five states for new virus cases per capita in recent days, adding anywhere from 1,300 to 2,600 new cases daily over the last week.

RADFORD, Va Radford City School leaders are weighing the options of what this school year could look like. Tuesday night the school board will consider three different models including an in-person school year, an online learning model, and an option combing the two. Superintendent Robert Graham said the division has multiple committees on each grade level weighing which is the best and most safe option for the school year. He hopes to bring as many students as he can back to school for in-person learning this fall. Tuesdays school board meeting will be streamed on the Radford City Schools Facebook page here.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. Information gathered from a parent survey is helping determine the next steps for reopening Roanoke County Public Schools this fall. The parents of more than 13,400 students in Roanoke County school responded to the questionnaire. Students in grades 3-12 would attend school in person two days a week with three days online. School leaders said the responses to two questions in particular were important in guiding their decision. First, parents were asked if they would choose an option for their child to have online instruction 100% of the time, with no in-person instruction.

Authorities reimposed lockdown on Monday in parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir, including the region's main city, following surge in coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, two World Health Organization experts were part of a mission in China to trace the origin of the pandemic. The numbers come at the end of a record-breaking week as Florida reported 514 fatalities an average of 73 per day. India, which has the most confirmed virus cases after the United States and Brazil, on Monday reported a record daily surge of 28,701 new cases reported in the past 24 hours. Greece was seeking a ban on church and village fairs and tighter tourism-related checks following a recent increase in confirmed coronavirus cases.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. If Roanoke County teachers have their way, when the school year begins, there will not be any in-person classes. The Roanoke County Education Association, the areas branch of the statewide teachers union, released its two-page statement on Monday afternoon. RCEA has determined that there is no safe way to open Roanoke County schools in a face to face setting. The statement notes the change in position of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is no longer advising a full reopening of schools. Virginia must proceed with caution and ensure the health and safety of all as it considers schedules for reopening schools.

SAN JOSE, Ca. Some California teachers said Friday they are refusing to go back into the classroom next month until conditions are safe in this COVID-19 era, a move that may set a trend for teachers throughout the state. The San Jose Teachers Association said in-person instruction is unsafe and one parent agrees, according to a report from KNTV. Now that teachers are refusing to go back into the classroom, the district is taking another look at that plan. Its going to be a big challenge and a big hole in their education.San Jose teachers are following the California Teachers Association lead.

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. Bedford County released its back-to-school plan Thursday night, and it looks much different from other plans across our region. Bedford plans to have grades kindergarten to sixth attending class daily, Monday through Friday, with different buildings being used to achieve social distancing. Meanwhile, the high school plan is very flexible, with only half the students attending at any one time, but all-distance learning and face-to-face learning five days a week is possible too if needed for some students. The tentative start date for high school in Bedford County is Wednesday, Aug. 12, while K-6 will start a little later, on Monday, Aug. 17. The Bedford County superintendent emphasizes these plans could change over the next month.

Leila in the special education program at Oak Grove Elementary but when schools shut down, mom had to take over. “That was really, really beneficial for Jaedyn. Roanoke City Public School’s Executive Director of Special Education Hayley Poland says until the division-wide plan is finalized, they cannot develop a special education plan. The Virginia Department of Education has an entire section online for special education and student services related to COVID. Additionally, after an extended closure, divisions are responsible for reviewing how the closure impacted the delivery of special education and related services to students eligible for special education services.

All public schools must submit both a health plan and an instructional plan but now the Virginia Department of Education is saying it does not approve the plans. In a letter to superintendents the Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Health Commissioner said:“This process leaves the final decisions about reopening squarely in the hands of local school boards. But ultimately, it is up to the local school board to decide when and how schools reopen, according to VDOE. Pyle points out public school divisions should separately notify the VDOE if they intend to exceed the recommended program offerings or significantly deviate from the guidance. Below is a document outlining the guidelines for Virginia schools when submitting 2020-2021 instructional plans:

ROANOKE, VA. Roanoke City Schools superintendent Verletta White said the citys back to school plan is still a work in progress. On Tuesday night, White rounded out her welcome to Roanoke tour with the families of Garden City Elementary. Earlier in the day, Governor Ralph Northam announced new school guidance that said students can be as close to three feet apart if they wear masks and arent showing symptoms of the virus. White said theyre still working on their plan and hope to present to the school board next week. The division said 7,000 parents have completed the school re-opening survey.

ROANOKE, Va. A group of Virginia Republican legislators is calling on Governor Ralph Northam to prioritize in-person classes five days a week this upcoming school year. Virginia Republicans want Northam to lay out a road map of what the 2021 school year will look like for grades K-12, adding that they feel students would succeed further with in-person learning. Democratic Senator John Edwards is not fully convinced a five-day school week is the best choice. The number one priority should be the health and safety of our children and not just five day school. For a full list of school reopening guidelines set by the state, click here.

ROANOKE, Va. – After more than a decade with the same superintendent, Roanoke City Public Schools is about to have a new leader. The new superintendent comes from outside of Virginia and parents and staff want to know what she has planned. I’m so excited to be here,” said Verletta White, who has big plans when she officially takes over as superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools on July 1. I also want to hear what’s working well,” said White, who says she plans to take those ideas and put them into action but also keep the listening going. “We need to make sure there is no gap in student achievement between black and white students in terms of reading and mathematics.

ROANOKE, Va. Heres a shocking statistic: some students may return in the fall a full year behind compared to what teachers see in a normal year according to the Virginia Department of Education. 10 News is working for you, investigating the issue and what local school systems are doing to make sure all students can access learning. Paper packets or internet access. Equity is about access, making sure all students have access that all students have opportunity. A group at Virginia Tech was contracted to map all the Public WI-FI Hotspots around the commonwealth to help students and people that dont have access outside of school.

Elementary students will be assigned to either the morning or afternoon group and will attend school for a half-day (three hours) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. All middle and high school students will be divided into Groups 1 & 2 (50% each). Groups will alternate morning & afternoon sessions. All middle and high school students will be divided into Groups 1 & 2 (50% each). Each high school will have a slightly different schedule that will allow them to return to their regular schedules once schools fully reopen.

10 News talked to one of the people who helped shape the guidelines all schools will have to follow. Hatchett was on the committee that helped shape some of the 136-page document outlining how schools can open in the fall. “What reopening looks like from one area to the state likely will be very different. I think frankly there’s no shame in my mind for people admitting the fact that we don’t know what we don’t know,” said Livingston. This is part of an ongoing 10 News series looking into reopening schools in Virginia.

Thousands of families dont want that to happen again and K12 has been overwhelmed with questions as parents look into online school options. For families like the Mullins the online school has been a great comfort in a time of uncertainty. As part of the online school experience students participate in online Class Connect sessions, which are an integral part of the program. They will participate and attend online classes with their teacher and classmates, as well as complete online lessons and assessments. In addition to their online classes, theyll do offline projects and reading, and work with hands-on materials.

The Montgomery County School Board talked about challenges Tuesday night. Option 1: Bus capacity will be limited to just 13 students instead of 77 students in a checkerboard pattern. Option 2: Bus capacity will be limited to 26 students which would be one student per seat. Teachers with elementary age kids would be allowed to attend school each day to help with childcare concerns. If the district goes with the second transportation option, a max of 50% of middle school students and 50% of high school students will attend one designated class in person on their assigned days.

BLACKSBURG, Va. While the dates of Virginia Tech fall semester remain unchanged, all will not be the same in Blacksburg. In order to mitigate the risks associated with an anticipated late-fall resurgence of this disease, we plan to pivot to online instruction and exams after Thanksgiving break, wrote Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in a letter to the Virginia Tech community. Virginia Tech has a full breakdown of its plan online at vt.edu/ready. Our holistic, principles-based approach means that much of our planning for Blacksburg will pertain to all Virginia Tech locations. If we do this right, we will manage to preserve the best of the residential campus experience for which Virginia Tech is known.

The Commonwealths COVID-19 Education Work Group is made up of superintendents, college leaders and the Virginia Department of Health. There are now sessions with Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni. Many are organized by the Virginia Education Association to include teachers in all the grade levels, special education, transportation and more. They make up the steering committee for the work group. The data-driven and science-based approach will include recommendations from the COVID-19 Education Work Group, and will be coordinated with the Forward Virginia plan to gradually ease public health restrictions.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. There are still a lot of questions about how students will return to school in the fall. Teachers are asking about how they prepare lessons for the different scenarios schools are talking about like staggered scheduling. Do they need to have multiple versions of lesson plans for online learning and in-person learning or the other options? We have this cadre of teachers who know how to do that very effectively because teaching online is a very different thing than teaching face to face, said Nicely. He says the Virginia department of education has task forces to give guidance as well, so not every one of the 132 school divisions has to reinvent the wheel.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Many of you have asked about what working families are supposed to do if students return to class in the fall on a staggered schedule —meaning they go every other day, or every third day so social distancing guidelines can be followed. We took your questions to Roanoke County school board chairman Don Butzer who admits this isn’t going to be a popular answer. [Virginia schools preparing for a variety of scenarios when students return in the fall]“They’re going to have to find childcare. This isn’t going to be just a Roanoke County problem, this is going to be a problem statewide,” said Butzer. Creative people will find a way to do it if the funding and need is there.”You can see what other options Roanoke County is preparing for in this 10 News story.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. School is going to look a lot different when students go back in the fall. Our kids will never recover from that, said Roanoke County School Board chairman Don Butzer. What Im worried about mostly is what is this new normal going to look like.Butzer, Roanoke County Schools Superintendent Ken Nicely and other Roanoke County administrators are planning for any and all scenarios, just like other schools across Virginia. All middle and high school students have laptops, but elementary students do not. More than half of Roanoke County school bus drivers are over 65-years-old.