Arlington schools superintendent proposes postponed start, online learning

About 100 school buses are parked at the Arlington County Bus Depot, in response to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 outbreak on March 31, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. - Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia have decided to close schools in …

The Arlington Public Schools superintendent proposed on Tuesday a delayed start to the school year – as well as online learning.

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“I am proposing to the School Board on Thursday night to postpone the start of the academic year to Tuesday, September 8, and begin our school year virtually in the full-time distance learning model for all students,” Superintendent Francisco Duran said in a letter posted on the district’s website.

READ MORE: Arlington schools say distance learning is most likely scenario for fall

Duran elaborated that after a virtual start to the school year, officials would target early October to begin integrating some students into buildings for in-person instruction.

“Our goal is to have hybrid in-person instruction in place for all families that have selected that model by the beginning of the second quarter, based on health data and in consultation with health officials,” Duran said.

READ MORE: All 70 parishes in Catholic Diocese of Arlington to move into phase 3 of reopening this week

Virginia school facilities were shut down in the spring for the duration of the academic year when the coronavirus outbreak.

As the end of summer nears, districts throughout the Commonwealth are deliberating on balancing the health and safety of their students with the quality of their education.

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