When Will AACPS Reopen? Officials Mull Potential Start Date

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Coronavirus metrics are rising in Anne Arundel County, but school officials are determined to safely return to the classroom. Superintendent George Arlotto is still shooting for a potential hybrid reopening when the spring semester starts on Feb. 2.

If the county adopts a hybrid model, families could opt in to a schedule split between in-person and virtual learning. Students would still be allowed to continue distance learning if they prefer.

At its Wednesday meeting, Arlotto will give a reopening update to the Anne Arundel County Board of Education. School officials are still ironing out the logistics of possible hybrid classes.

Coronavirus regulations would affect:

• Mask-wearing
• Bus capacity
• Class sizes
• Desk placement
• Contact tracing
• School sanitation and more

Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman will also offer guidance from the Anne Arundel County Department of Health at the meeting.

This is Arlotto's latest update in an ongoing series of reopening talks. The school board voted in October 2020 to offer hybrid classes to younger students starting in November of 2020.

Teachers protested the decision with a car rally outside the offices of Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The board eventually backtracked, voting to delay in-person instruction until the current February target date.

With a potential start on the horizon, the county is still above Kalyanaraman's recommended health metrics. That could threaten a potential reopening.

To catch up on the latest coronavirus trends in Anne Arundel County, read Patch's most recent update. Check out this press release to learn how to testify at the board meeting. The agenda is posted here.

Wednesday's meeting starts at 6 p.m. It will be streamed via Comcast and Broadstripe on Channel 96, Verizon on Channel 36 and the internet on Anne Arundel County Public Schools' YouTube channel.

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RELATED:

• AACPS Delays Hybrid Classes; Anne Arundel Coronavirus Cases Surge
• Teachers Protest Hybrid Classes, Threaten To Work Fewer Hours
• AACPS Adopts Hybrid Model, Eligible Students Can Opt In
• Anne Arundel Teases Hybrid School Plan At Coronavirus Town Hall
• AACPS Reopening Talks Haven't Been Inclusive, Teachers Union Says
• AACPS Works Toward Hybrid System; Here Are The Remaining Kinks
• ACCPS Acts 'Aggressively But Prudently,' Remains Online This Fall
• Maryland Schools May Begin Safely Reopening: Governor Hogan

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