May 19, 2024

How Are Schools Reopening in the Fall?

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The return to school won’t be business as usual this year. Across the country, many school districts are still weighing their options for how to reopen schools amid continuing coronavirus concerns.

In May, the CDC released back-to-school guidance on maintaining healthy environments and operations, such as installing physical barriers in areas where it’s difficult to maintain a safe distance from other people and implementing staggered schedules for students.

However, 94 percent of K–12 superintendents nationwide said their district still hadn’t announced a timetable for reopening and resuming in-person instruction as of May, according to a recent survey by The School Superintendents Association (AASA). Additionally, 80 percent said that reopening with recommended social distancing guidelines will be “very hard to do” under their district’s current capacity and physical limitations.

Beyond the health safety challenges, there are other issues school leaders are still working to resolve — from delivering devices and broadband internet access to providing social-emotional support for students from a distance — while facing impending budget cuts.

That said, there’s certainly a lot for school leaders to think about. Plus, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reopening, which can make the decision-making and planning process even more daunting.

To help school leaders, educators and parents get a better grasp of the current situation, our team of education strategists has been monitoring discussions around reopening scenarios nationally. Here is an overview of the most common ones and key considerations for each.