Republican lawmakers in Virginia are urging Gov. Ralph Northam to rescind his current guidelines for public schools and replace them with guidelines that would allow all public schools to reopen for all children five days a week during phase three of school reopening.
Republicans also hope to address education issues during an upcoming special session.
Lawmakers said Northam’s phase-three restrictions are preventing some schools from providing in-person classes for all students each weekday. The governor’s regulations require social distancing between students, which he said may require some schools to blend in-person and remote learning.
Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, said Wednesday in a news conference Republicans support robust virtual education as an option but not as a mandate. She said Virginia is able to reopen the schools five days per week safely, which statistics show is necessary for children.
Within the past 16 weeks, Dunnavant said Virginia has been able to open child care facilities without any serious problems. More than 1,000 child care facilities have been open for essential workers and there has been only one outbreak, which resulted in no hospitalizations and the facility was able to continue running the entire time, she said.
Dunnavant added only 10 percent of COVID-19 cases in the commonwealth were among children age 19 or younger and there were few hospitalizations and no deaths in that age range.
“Our state needs to start making decisions that are in the best interest of Virginia’s children and their future,” Dunnavant said. “That’s why we’re advocating for a roadmap from Gov. Northam that prioritizes schools reopening doors five days a week.”
Rep. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, said public education should be a major subject in the upcoming special session. In addition to reopening schools five days a week, he said teachers should be given a pay raise and there should be more flexibility with the additional funds given to schools.
