Florida's Department of Education is ordering all public schools in the state to reopen for in-person instruction this fall.
The directive issued Monday states that, "Upon reopening in August, all school boards and charter school governing boards must open brick and mortar schools at least five days per week for all students," subject to advice and orders of state and local departments of health, as well as any executive orders.
In addition, the announcement says if a school decides to offer remote learning, it must meet requirements determined by the state’s department of education. This includes providing the same curriculum as offered in the classroom, as well as offering students the ability to interact with teachers and peers.
This decision comes as health officials and education departments around the country try to determine how to reopen schools safely amid a surge of new cases of the virus.
Florida, which has been hit hard by the virus in recent weeks, is in the process of reimposing some COVID-19 restrictions after experiencing record-breaking new daily infection numbers.
