York to pause in-person instruction after breaks

YORKCOUNTY—Mostof the Peninsula’s large districts that are holding in-person classes will go virtual-only for a week after the Thanksgiving and winter breaks. York Superintendent Victor Shandor sent a letter to families and staff Monday announcing the plan. Hampton and Williamsburg-James City County Schools made similar announcements last week.

Shandor said in the message that they believe their in-school mitigation strategies are working. According to the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 28 cases in school buildings since Sept 27.

“However, cases are rising across the country, and while York CountyandVirginia may notbeatthelevelofotherareas, we too are facing an upward trend,” Shandor wrote. “As cases increase, contact tracing andeffectivequarantineprocedures are essential to keeping schools open.”

Poquoson plans to bring back sixth- and seventh-graders on Dec. 7, the same time in-person instruction resumes in other districts. Grades 8-12 are scheduled to return Jan. 11.

But most are pausing, citing the potential for holiday travel to worsen an already significant spike in COVID-19 cases. School leaders have said they might reconsider in-person learning if the situation continues to worsen.

“We have stated numerous times that our Return to School plan is a living document and it may become necessary to move between the models,” Shandor wrote. “If that happens, wewill work to provide as much notice to our families and staff as we can. I encourage families and staff to be prepared for that possibility.”

York County school staff will start reporting four days a week in person on Monday under Shandor’s plan, but all students will learn online that week. Hampton and Williamsburg are allowing staff to work remotely, but Shandor said the requirement will prepare for more grades to return.

Students in pre-K through sixth grade, some English language learner programs and some special education programs will return for hybrid instruction Dec. 7-18. After winter break ends on Jan. 4, all students will be online for a week again. Hybrid instruction resumes on Jan. 11.

The plan Shandor sent to families and presented Monday to the School Board leaves the door open for some students in grades 7, 8, 9 or 12 to start hybrid learning on Jan. 11 or Jan. 19. Other grades could start Feb. 1.

Thenumberofcoronavirus cases isn’t the only determining factor, however. A shortage of substitute teachers has been a persistent obstacle for the district’s plans to bring back grades 7-12.

At Monday’s School Board meeting, human resources director Tony Vladu said some principals and assistant principals were having to cover classes.

Thedistrict has madesome strides in recruiting substitutes, but they’re still short. Between Nov. 9-13, the district needed 141 substitutes for absences at the elementary level. They were able to fill 102 of those.

Evenif people aren’t getting sick in school buildings, rising case numbers in the community still makes in-person instruction difficult.

“When staff members need to isolate or quarantine as recommended by a doctor — even whenit happens in the community — those are additional staff members that we have to find coverage for,” Vladu said.