Succumbing to state pressure, the Broward County (Fla.) school district will reopen campuses to students on a rolling schedule starting Oct. 9 and ending Oct. 15.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the school board for the nation's sixth-largest district revised its plans for reopening after Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran stepped in and ordered that schools open by Tuesday.
Board members labeled Corcoran's demands “abuse” and “extortion." Corcoran responded with a compromise, which the board accepted Thursday.
The plan: On Oct. 9, students in pre-K, kindergarten, and grades 1 and 2 can return, as all special needs students in self-contained classroom. On Oct. 13, students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 can return to campus. On Oct.15, students in grades 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12 can return.
The school district has offered only remote learning since late March because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many parents and teachers are not yet ready for school buildings to reopen because they are not sure children will be safe.
It is not clear if the district will have enough teachers when in-person instruction resumes. A teacher survey found that 29% plan to take leave instead of returning to campus. But many teachers have said they would be happy to continue working remotely.
Broward’s reopening dates have gone through numerous changes in the past two weeks.
Several School Board members said they were outraged by the pressure they were feeling. Initially, they said they wouldn’t give into Corcoran’s demands and would even consider legal action.
Board member Patti Good said the district’s initial reopening dates were consistent with a plan submitted to the state over the summer.
“This is extortion by the Department of Education. There’s no two ways about it,” Good said.
