Fairfax County School Board approves return-to-school plan

A COVID vaccination clinic for school employees at Inova. [Karen Bolt/FCPS]

The Fairfax County School Board on Feb. 2 approved an updated timeline for students returning to school for in-person learning beginning Feb. 16. Under this timeline, presented by Superintendent Scott Brabrand, all students would return by March 16. 

Students have been learning at home since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, nearly a year ago, although some students temporarily returned to class for a short period this fall.

The plan approved by the school board calls for students to be in school buildings two days a week while continuing with online instruction the rest of the week. Families can still choose to stay with full-time virtual learning. 

Here’s the schedule: 

• Feb. 16 – Groups 1-4: select career and technical education students and special education students. 
• Feb. 23 – Group 5: prekindergarten, kindergarten, and special education. 
• March 2 – Group 8: grades 8, 9, and 12 plus eighth-graders at Poe, Glasgow, and Holmes middle schools. 
• March 9 – Group 6: grades 1 and 2; and Group 8: grades 7, 10, and 11 and sixth and seventh-graders at Poe, Glasgow, and Holmes. 
• March 16 – Group 7: grades 3-6. 

A new bell schedule also begins on Feb. 16. It will apply to students continuing with full-time virtual learning, as well as students returning to classrooms. The new schedule is needed due to social distancing requirements that limit capacity on school buses.

“I’m excited about us moving forward to return students to the building as has been the goal for many months now. I’m delighted that the board was unanimous in its support of the superintendent’s updated schedule,” said School Board Chair Ricardy Anderson of Mason District.

Brabrand told the school board Fairfax County Public Schools is able to bring students back for in-person learning because it is meeting updated, research-based decision-making protocols issued by the Virginia Department of Health.

FCPS is sending safety teams to schools to ensure they are implementing the Centers for Disease Control’s five health and safety mitigation strategies aimed at keeping school transmission rates low. These strategies include consistent use of face masks, social distancing, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, and contact tracing. 

According to Brabrand, FCPS schools currently rate “low” in terms of infection risk.

Related story: Fairfax County superintendent floats a revised schedule for in-person learning

Another big factor in the decision to reopen schools is the progress in vaccinating school staff. Vaccinations began Jan. 16, and 90 percent of FCPS staff have requested or scheduled appointments to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

The Fairfax County Health Department is working with Inova Health System and FCPS to ensure staff will have access to their second dose within the next few weeks.

Students that are most disproportionately hurt by the lack of in-person instruction will be among the first groups to return to school buildings and centers. These groups include young children, students with disabilities, and English language learners. 

“FCPS believes in-person instruction is best to meet our students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, and I am truly grateful to the board for their continued support of our students at this difficult time,” Brabrand said. “We will continue to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff remain our highest priority as we begin to return to in-person learning.” 

Related story: Over 800 COVID deaths so far in Fairfax County

FCPS has hired 92 percent of the classroom monitors necessary to bring back the first group of students on Feb. 16 and 86 percent of the monitors needed to bring back the second group. FCPS still needs to recruit an additional 205 monitors.

Classroom monitors are necessary to cover in-person classrooms for instructors who are teaching from home. 

Classes may need to transition back to virtual learning if a teacher needs to quarantine or the class experiences an outbreak.