BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore’s public school system announced Monday that it will delay the start of in-person classes for students this fall.
“While many families are interested in an in-person option, there is also discomfort among students and families with moving directly to reopening in August,” Sonja Santelises, the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, said in a letter announcing the delay.
The decision from the school system comes about a week after Maryland’s leading teachers union called for online learning for the fall semester because of safety concerns about the coronavirus. Some public schools in the state have also announced plans to hold virtual classes for students until January 2021.
Santelises has asked the Baltimore school system’s board to delay the start of the academic year to September 8 in order to allow school staff additional time for training.
An update on the reopening plan will be provided by October 16, Santelises said in a statement reported by news outlets.
“We were determined that our plan be data-based, both in terms of COVID-19 and the disproportionate impact of distance learning on our most vulnerable students - while avoiding any influence from attempts to politicize this situation,” she added.
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