Coronavirus: DeWine wants a return to the classroom this fall

COLUMBUS — When Miami Valley students had their school year interrupted by the COVID-19 crisis in mid-March, they were not sure when they would be returning to the classroom. Most school administrators have been speculating about it as well.

Now, Gov. Mike DeWine has given them a clear indication of what to expect.

At his briefing Tuesday on the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the governor said he wants children and young people to go back to the classroom this fall. He also intends to allow local districts to make most of the decisions about what that new school year is going to look like.

“There is going to be a great deal of flexibility. We are a local government state. We have over 600 school districts, very, very diverse….very different constituencies, different bus routes, different all kinds of things. And so a lot of the discretion is going to be left to the local community, as it should be,” DeWine said.

Educators in the Miami Valley have told News Center 7 in recent weeks that in a normal year, planning for the new school year begins at the start of the calendar year. Because the health emergency disrupted every district’s schedule, the planning process was changed to allow for multiple scenarios, including an online start of classes in the fall.

DeWine promised to have additional guidance for districts as soon as possible.

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