Brevard County approves school reopening plan, considers delaying start date
Brevard County Public Schools finalizing fall plans
Brevard County school officials are meeting to discuss a return to instruction in the fall. Teachers gathered to protest the return to the classroom and the fact that there is not a mask requirement. Officials are considering delaying the return to instruction by a week to mid-August.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Brevard County school officials met on Tuesday, approving a back-to-school plan that includes three learning options of face-to-face instruction, Brevard Virtual School, and a hybrid that includes remote learning with some in-person coursework.
Superintendent Mark Mullins has also recommended delaying the student start date to Aug. 17, to allow teachers and staff more time to prepare, but this has not yet been finalized.
While many safety precautions will be taken for on-site learning, one point of contention was whether or not masks would be required in the classroom. While there is no mask mandate, school officials are strongly encouraging students and staff to wear face coverings.
As the board was hashing out plans for the fall, a group of concerned parents and teachers gathered outside for a socially distanced protest against the reopening of schools. Schools are set to reopen in less than a month. The group wants to see them open later.
Right now, the start date is August 11, but many teachers in Brevard County want the board to move that date back to August 31. August 17 could be a compromise school board members are willing to offer.
FOX 35 News spoke with a school board member who says starting later could cause issues with teacher pay and going later in the year could affect family events. Concerned parents are invited to make public comments during the school board meeting on Tuesday.
"So there’s a possibility that we look at some changes a little bit of a shift later into the calendar year. The task force is continuing to work, they’ve been working all weekend," said School Board Member Katye Campbell.
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