South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said students in her state will be back at their desks this fall despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Noem, a Republican, said students will “definitely” be receiving in-person instruction throughout the upcoming school year. The governor said she does not believe students can reach their full potential via online instruction. Schools can be a safe haven for students with difficult situations at home, Noem said.
“We have proven that distance learning is not as effective as being in the classroom. We think that kids have only achieved about 70% of the learning that they could have had they been in school,” Noem said.
“And then, also, we have a lot of kids that don’t have a stable home environment. They don’t have parents that are really being responsible to make sure that they’re learning. Those are the kids that are getting hurt the most. And in South Dakota, in some districts, it’s up to 30% of the children,” she added.
Noem said that she will not mandate masks for students or teachers and will allow school districts to decide how best to manage the pandemic. She said that two-thirds of the teachers in South Dakota are below the high-risk age groups and that most teachers have been eager to get back into the schools.
“They really have a mission in their hearts to take care of these kids, so they’re anxious to get back in the classroom, too,” she said. “For those that are older or have preexisting health conditions that make them vulnerable to the virus, there’s accommodations that can be made. I met with administrators yesterday, and they are all being very flexible with our teachers.”
The Trump administration has urged schools to reopen for in-person instruction. Some cities across the country have already decided not to reopen schools, including Los Angeles and San Diego. South Dakota was one of a handful of states to refuse to issue a stay-at-home order during the pandemic.
