Review‌ ‌the‌ ‌latest‌ ‌information‌ ‌related‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌coronavirus‌ ‌disease‌ ‌2019‌ ‌(COVID-19)‌ ‌pandemic.‌ Our special education attorneys and advocates can help you and your child prepare for the return to school.

Happy New Year!

U.S. Department of Education

  • Betsy DeVos announced that over $54 billion in emergency relief funding has been made available to support fully reopening K–12 schools and address learning loss due to the lack of in-person learning opportunities. This funding can be used to measure student progress, identify those who have fallen behind, and allow them to have differentiated instruction and learning resources so they may catch up to grade level. Virginia has been allocated approximately $939 million of this funding. Parents can track how their state and local education agencies are using this funding here: https://covid-relief-data.ed.gov/.
  • Betsy DeVos has submitted her resignation as Secretary of Education, citing Trump’s role in the Capitol riots as “the inflection point.”

Arlington Public Schools (APS)

  • APS will be announcing their phased plan to transition Level 2 and 3 students to in-person learning shortly. They still plan to take a gradual approach, while of course following guidance from the Virginia Department of Health and using effective health and safety measures.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)

  • Based on the current high community transmission of COVID-19, FCPS has decided to pause the plan to bring students and staff back into school buildings. They will be providing an update on their Return to School plan to the School Board on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021.
  • Since FCPS will not be returning any students to in-person learning, they will not be implementing a new bell system in January.

Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS)

  • FCCPS is returning students to schools currently, based on specific cohort groups.
  • Cohort 1 (Special Populations) started on Jan. 5, 2021. This group includes the following:
    • Pre-K and Individualized Education Program (IEP) students
    • Elementary Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL)/Life Skills, K–5 special education students with 50% or greater on IEP, and HI/VI/TBI students
    • Targeted English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students
    • Secondary ASOL students (Life Skills)
    • Secondary therapeutic classroom students
    • Medical homebound and home-based students
  • Cohort 2 (Elementary/Grades K–5) was set to return on Jan. 12. Based on current health metrics, FCCPS has decided that they will remain virtual next week.
  • Cohort 3 (Secondary/Grades 6–12) was set to return Jan. 12 and 21.
    • The Senior Class was set to return on Jan. 12, but based on current health metrics, FCCPS has decided that they will remain virtual next week.
    • Grades 6–11 are still set to return on Thursday, Jan. 21.
  • There is no announcement yet as to when Cohorts 2 and 3 will return to in-person/hybrid learning.

Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS)

  • The School Board has decided to continue providing the hybrid and distance learning models to all students when the second semester begins on Feb. 1, 2021.
  • If parents would like to make a change to their student’s current learning model, they should contact their principal. FCPS cautions that, due to space limitations, healthy guidelines, and staffing issues, principals may not be able to grant all change requests.

Prince William County Schools (PWCS)

  • The PWCS Superintendent presented an updated plan to the School Board regarding the return to in-person learning for the grades that have not yet returned. Currently, they are still planning to have second and third graders return next week (House A on Jan. 12, 2021 and House B on Jan. 13). However, the new plan delays the rest of the grades until later dates. His plan would include the following return dates:
    • House A
      • Fourth–sixth and ninth grades: April 20
      • Seventh, eighth, and 10th–12th grades: April 27
    • House B:
      • Fourth–sixth and ninth grades: April 21
      • Seventh, eighth, and 10th–12th grades: April 28.
  • The above proposed dates are planned two weeks from spring break in order to minimize any COVID-19 spreading that could occur from that break.
  • Once the above grades return to in-person learning, the start times would revert to an estimated:
    • 7:30 a.m. start for high school
    • 8:15 a.m. start for middle school
    • 9 a.m. start for elementary school

Spotsylvania County Public Schools (SCPS)

  • SCPS has started the second semester in virtual learning and will continue through Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. This is due to the high incidences of COVID-19 cases, which has almost tripled since Thanksgiving.

Stafford County Public Schools

  • Stafford has decided to extend virtual learning for all students January 11–15, 2021. School buildings will be open for the following exceptions:
    • Students needing access to Internet Cafes
    • Students accessing the building for face-to-face learning with Plan C IEPs
    • Cosmetology I and II courses at Mountain View and Stafford High Schools
    • Firefighting students who attend classes at Station 2
  • Students will return to their regularly scheduled learning model on Jan. 19.