As part of our Facing the Fall coverage, News4Jax is following all the announcements from local school districts about how they plan to address reopening this fall.
Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran ordered Florida’s public schools to reopen in August, and school district officials must submit plans that fall in line with the emergency order by July 31.
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As we try to keep up with all the decisions being made by school districts in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, we’ll share the latest plans here, and in our education-focused Facing the Fall newsletter: Sign up now.
Below is an overview of what we know so far for each district.
Duval
Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene told the Duval County School Board on Tuesday morning that her administration’s new plan to reopen schools does not necessarily meet the state’s emergency order to open school buildings for face-to-face instruction all week.
Duval County students will be expected to wear masks on campus when schools reopen next month.
And if they ride a bus, they will be required to wear them, as well.
St. Johns
The St. Johns County School District is planning to require that students wear masks in classrooms and hallways, according to a revised reopening plan released last week.
In the new plan, students will now be required to wear masks in the classroom if they can’t social distance.
Masks will still be required on school buses under the new plan.
St. Johns County School Board members on Tuesday asked the school district to explore pushing back the school start date to give the district more time to implement COVID-19 safety plans and allow parents to make decisions.
Clay
As part of what it’s calling a “smart restart,” the Clay County School District on Thursday revealed four options it will be offering students for learning during the fall semester.
The options include: Traditional brick and mortar (all grades), Clay Virtual Academy (grades K-12), One Clay Online (grades K-6) and blended learning (grades 7-12).
Nassau
The Nassau County School Board released its plan for reopening during its meeting Thursday night.
The plan details three options for elementary (Pre-K-5) and secondary (6-12) students: brick-and-mortar school, school-based distancing learning and Nassau Virtual School.
Putnam
Putnam County schools will be reopening in a month, and parents have a week to decide which option to enroll their student in for the fall.
The district released three options for students Wednesday.
Baker
When students return to Baker County classrooms Aug. 10, they will have the option to wear masks in addition to other safety precautions being taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
In its reopening plan posted on the district’s website, educators said its guidelines were reviewed by the Baker County Health Department. It also says the plan is subject to change as public health guidelines are updated.
Bradford
Bradford County parents and students learned Tuesday about three proposed learning options for the 2020-2021 school year: brick-and-mortar or regular school, Bradford Virtual Select or full-time MyBradford Virtual School through Northeast Florida Education Consortium also known as NEFEC.
Southeast Georgia
Many districts are rolling out plans under Georgia’s Path to Recovering for K-thru-12 schools, which are not mandated or state required.
Local districts have the authority and flexibility to meet their individual needs, that’s the guidance from the Georgia Department of Education and the Department of Public Health.
Read more on plans for Glynn, Camden, Brantley, Ware and Charlton counties