Governor Hogan Announces Every County School System is Authorized to Open, MCPS Responds

Governor Hogan Announces Every County School System is Authorized to Open, MCPS Responds

Earlier today Governor Hogan announced that every county school system in Maryland is now fully authorized to begin safely reopening, as a result of health metrics across the state.

He tweeted “The authority to reopen continues to rest with county school systems, but nearly everyone agrees that there is no substitute for in-person instruction. It is essential that we all work together on flexible hybrid plans to safely get some of our kids back into classrooms.”

“Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon urges local school systems to reevaluate their modes of instruction at the end of the first quarter. The state is making $10 million in grant funding available to help systems that are able to move toward in-person instruction.”

MCPS has issued a statement responding to Governor Hogan:

“We thank Governor Larry Hogan and State Superintendent Karen Salmon for their guidance on the return to in-person instruction for local school districts. However, we are deeply disappointed by the last-minute announcement of this critical information for school systems. MCPS will begin the school year in a virtual-only instructional model on August 31, as scheduled. We know many in our community will have questions about what this new guidance means for our students. Please allow us time to thoughtfully assess these important developments and continue to prepare for a successful start to the school year.

As we shared earlier this month, we are working with county health officials on a process that will allow us to bring in small groups of students, such as students in specific special education programs. The Board of Education will meet in the coming weeks to continue to discuss a plan for the 2020-2021 school year. Our focus remains on the academic needs and health and safety of our students and staff.”