Letters to the Editor: April 2 – 8, 2020

Now Time to Return School Start to After Labor Day

Editor,

With the uncertainty of Covid-19 and the lead time necessary, now would seem to be the time to proactively return the start of school to after Labor Day.

The precaution of moving the start of the school year for 2020-21 to the latest date possible seems advisable in order to prepare for ongoing social distancing and to allow the pandemic the longest possible time to run its course.

The schools already have a calendar extremely similar to the one adopted that starts after Labor Day.

This isn’t about who or how many people voted for which calendar. It’s about dealing with the facts on the ground.

Starting early to get more instruction days was one of the reasons for choosing two weeks before Labor Day. Now, starting after Labor Day provides the greatest likelihood of the maximum possible real, in-person instruction school days. While the virtual classroom is a good makeshift alternative the maximum amount of in-classroom instruction days should be the goal.

Also it moves back Mason Moving Day, allowing more time for completion of the new High School facility. Construction must be impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Moving the school year start date to after Labor Day will at least give the possibility of the new building opening on time. Even if moving day can be only after winter break, the later start of winter break gives almost a month of additional construction time for completion of the new facility.

Additionally, I don’t think it’s right to ask people to work on the construction site and risk their health and the health of their families. Even if construction continues, one worker contracting or coming in contact with Covid-19 seemingly would effectively grind work to a halt with quarantines. It’s not worth the risk

Dave Rifkin

Falls Church

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