Some Baltimore County Public School students will return to school buildings March 1, nearly one year after they were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
School Superintendent Darryl Williams told the school board Tuesday night the students’ return will be phased in.
“By March 1, we will not have 111,000 students back in buildings,” Williams said.
Under the school system’s reentry plan, the county’s four schools for disabled students are slated to reopen first. Children in preschool through second grade are expected to be among the first wave as well. School officials say they are the students most in need of in-person instruction.
Virtual learning will continue for those students who return because they will be moving into a hybrid model of instruction. They will receive a mix of in-person and online classes.
Parents will have the option to keep their children home and learning virtually.
Williams said State School Superintendent Karen Salmon ordered local school systems last week to return some students to school buildings by March 1.
“It is my understanding that Dr. Salmon made it clear that the local school systems must comply with her directive,” Williams said.
Williams said he soon will present a timeline of how long he expects it to take to get all 111,000 students back in classrooms for the start of hybrid learning.
