Hillsborough District To Open Brick-And-Mortar School Aug. 31

TAMPA, FL — After the state threatened to cut off funding, the Hillsborough County School District is reversing its decision to keep schools closed through September and will reopen all public schools on Aug. 31.

The school board previously voted to continue online learning for four weeks after the official start of school Aug. 24. However, after receiving a scathing letter from Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, the school district announced Thursday that it would open schools at the end of the month.

On July 6, Corcoran issued an emergency order mandating that all public schools open for five days a week in August or face the loss of state funds.

“We have been diligently working to come to a compromise with the Florida Department of Education regarding our reopening plans. Unfortunately, FLDOE has rejected two different phased-in models our district proposed that would have delayed our brick-and-mortar opening while ensuring our most vulnerable student populations were served in a face-to-face capacity,” said Superintendent Addison Davis.

“Please know our learners will be returning to classrooms with enhanced safety protocols. Students will be provided PPE and will practice social distancing. In addition, our district will employ contact tracing through the local health department in the event of any positive COVID-19 cases," said Davis. “We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we all work toward the shared goal of providing a high-quality education to every learner in our district.”

The Hillsborough County School District stood to lose as much as $23 million per month in state funding for defying the state order. The school district said that would have resulted in teacher layoffs and massive cutbacks.

Parents will still have the option to keep their children home and enroll them in either a hybrid online learning program tied to the student's school or virtual school.

However, parents who want their children to return to the brick-and-mortar classroom will send their kids back to school on Aug. 31.

When the school district surveyed the parents of the 182,322 students enrolled in public school, 42 percent said they'd send their students back to a brick-and-mortar classroom and 37 percent chose one of the two online learning options. Another 16 percent of parents did not return the survey.

Davis said all students will begin the school year Aug. 24 with online sessions.

"This will provide a jump start for our learners and allow them to build a foundation for success while becoming accustomed to new health and safety procedures. Teachers will record daily attendance and prepare students for new safety protocols when returning to the classroom,” he said.

He added that the district will be sending out more details to parents in the coming days.

See related stories:

• Education Commissioner Says School Board Violated State Order
• Hillsborough Board Votes To Delay School Reopening 4 More Weeks
• Hillsborough Schools To Reopen Aug. 24 Despite Growing Concerns
• Hillsborough School Board Grapples With School Reopening Mandate
• Teachers File Suit Over Concerns About Reopening Florida Schools