FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A serious topic among parents across the state has been the reopening of schools later this year.
The fate of the classroom is still up in the air for public schools, but what about private institutions?
"School is going to open on the 19th," said Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Miami Archdiocese.
For Catholic private schools, that date seems to be the only sense of certainty in this COVID-19 world.
It's less than a month away, and private catholic schools are having the same discussion as their public school counterparts.
"Whether it will open on bricks and mortar or it will open online, that is the $100,000 question," said Wenski.
Under the Archdiocese of Miami, there are seven high schools and 54 elementary schools. That’s about 33,000 students.
“I think we’re a little bit more nimble,” Wenski said.
Because of their size, they can adjust and adapt depending on what’s happening.
"We either will go with plan A or Plan B," Wenski said, referring to in-school teaching or virtual learning.
It's a decision that will be based on what the archbishop called the events, or the pandemic spread, as we get closer to the first day of school.
“It’s not only the kids and whether the kids can be infected easily, but you have another wider universe,” Wenski said.
He also said you have to think about the safety of teachers and support staff, who come in all ages.