JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Several parents in Duval County are demanding solid answers from Duval County Public Schools before they decide to reopen for the 2020-2021 school year.
Anbu Ponniah, a single parent and banker, said he wants to be sure his children are safe if they go back to the classroom.
"They're making a plan and I'm not sure all these things have been thought out," said Ponniah.
Ponniah said he has many questions, such as:
- Will the classrooms be sanitized before each class?
- What exactly are the sanitization protocols?
The recent spike in COVID-19 cases in both Florida and Duval County has him very concerned. He said he wants to be sure the schools are safe for everyone.
"When kids begin moving around in the hallway, how are you going to maintain social distancing," he questioned. "That bothers me because I need to know."
He would also like to know if there's a cleaning protocol for labs, art studios and how the school district plans to handle after-school activities like volleyball and social clubs.
He said these issues have not been part of the discussions he has heard between school leaders.
"If they have all these things ironed out, I don't have a problem," said Ponniah.
When First Coast News reached out to the school district regarding Ponniah's questions, it said:
"The district has been working very closely with local doctors and the Department of Health. The School Board had multiple medical professionals provide guidance during its workshop earlier this week. All of this input and guidance has led the Board to explore new options and alternatives for the new school year. We took that direction from the Board yesterday and are working on potential revisions to our plan. This will be discussed at another School Board meeting, Thursday of next week."
On Thursday, DCPS postponed its vote regarding whether to push back the school year's start date by two weeks. The current plan for elementary, middle and high school students all include options for face-to-face instruction, temporary distance learning or full-time virtual instruction.
These are also links from the Duval County School Board's website:
COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry by the American Academy of Pediatrics