Schools should be ready to reopen in phases, perhaps starting with reduced hours, before returning to full activity amid the coronavirus pandemic, a large pediatricians’ group said Tuesday.
Schools should also plan for intermittent closures in the future if the virus begins to rebound, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in new guidance.
So far, 46 states and Washington, DC, have announced school closures through the end of the academic year. Four more states have widespread closures but have not decided whether to cancel the rest of the school year.
A lot depends on factors that cannot yet be predicted: how the virus is spreading both nationally and in local communities, how much testing is available, and whether state and local health departments are able to control spread via testing and contact tracing, the group said.
Schools will also have to be ready to clean and sanitize all areas, screen, monitor and test students and staff and limit student interactions. That may include having students stay in one room, with teachers moving from class to class.
The organization indicated it supports efforts to get back to school if it can be done safely.
“While some school districts have implemented distance learning, this is not generally believed to replicate the in-person learning experience,” the group said in its guidance.
“Such districts may also experience a widened divide in academic progress, with certain children able to access distance learning and continue to grow academically, while others might experience difficulty accessing or engaging with virtual instruction,” the guidance said.
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