TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis says all Florida parents should have the option to send their children back to school in person, or to have them do distance learning if they choose.
That would force schools to open physically this fall, something Broward County said earlier Thursday that it doesn’t plan to do, at least initially. Broward leaders said they plan to resume the school year virtually on Aug. 19.
Echoing President Donald Trump’s message about the importance of physically opening schools this fall, DeSantis highlighted that younger people are less likely to suffer serious symptoms from COVID-19.
“It’s often asked whether it’s safe to return kids to school. It should also be asked how safe it is to keep schools closed,” DeSantis said Thursday in remarks from Tallahassee. “While the risk to in-person learning is low, the cost of keeping kids out of school is enormous.”
The governor also said that school districts could wait longer to open if they feel they need more time to prepare.
Other South Florida leaders have also been discussing the best ways to resume school in the fall with the region being a hotspot for COVID-19. Miami-Dade County is expected to make an announcement next week.
Miami-Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said last week that “it is actually counterintuitive and dangerous” to reopen schools with the coronavirus numbers trending as they are in South Florida.