Trump pushes for reopening, but son’s school to stay shut

WASHINGTON— U.S. President Donald Trump insists that schools reopen so students can go back to their classrooms, but the Maryland private school where his son Barron is enrolled is among those under county orders to stay closed.

Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles said his order to stay closed for inperson instruction through Oct. 1 and to conduct online classes only will be re-evaluated before Oct. 1 to determine whether it should be extended, terminated or amended.

Gayles noted increases in transmission rates for COVID-19 — the disease caused by the virus — in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia, particularly in younger age groups.

“Since the beginning of the

COVID-19 pandemic, we have based our decisions on science and data,” Gayles said in a news release announcing the decision late Friday. “At this point, the data does not suggest that in-person instruction is safe for students or teachers.”

Barron, 14, is due to enter ninth grade at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Md., which is located in Montgomery County. The 20202021 school year is slated to begin Sept. 8.

St. Andrews has been preparing for two different options: distance learning or a hybrid model with students learning both on an off campus.

Trump argues that children are being harmed by being away from the classroom. Federal medical experts have said decisions about reopening schools should be made locally.