COLUMBUS – Seeing an encouraging long-term trend in data on the spread of the coronavirus in the area, Columbus City Schools officials have announced their intention to try to return to their original hybrid learning plan calling for students to attend class in-person for two days a week and learn from home for three days.
Franklin County Thursday was downgraded from Level 3 to Level 2 in the state’s Public Health Advisory System, the first time the county’s alert level has been that low since the four-tiered color-coded system was adopted.
Beginning this week, the district says parents can log on and select which two days of in-person learning they prefer.
As we continue to assess our learning model for the school year and consider when we might return to in-person classes, we will be looking closely at the recommendations of Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts and her team regarding social distancing and health and safety protocols in our classrooms and on our school buses. We will also be talking with Dr. Roberts and her team to understand the numbers and the case count within our attendance boundaries and zip codes which are often different than Franklin County as a whole or the case counts in each of our suburban neighbors. –statement from Columbus City Schools
The state’s largest school district will begin the 2020-2021 school year on Sept. 8 in a completely virtual environment for all students.
The original plan for hybrid learning was abandoned on the advice of the Franklin County Health Commissioner.
Citing four consecutive weeks of a downward trend in cases, Columbus Public Health revised its recommendations schools to include hybrid learning, mandatory face coverings and seating charts for classrooms and buses that maintain six feet of social distance between students.
The number of cases of COVID-19 in Franklin county increased by 179 Thursday to 21,133.
During his regular video coronavirus briefing, Gov. Mike DeWine announced a forthcoming health directive ordering schools to notify parents of positive cases of COVID-19 among students attending class in person.
The state reported 1,244 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Thursday for a total of 118,828 with 4,076 deaths. There are currently 15,717 active cases.