2 Henrico supervisors dispute Cashwell's explanation of in-person learning delay

Hours after Henrico Superintendent Amy Cashwell told school system employees and stakeholders Tuesday that a return to in-person learning would be delayed for all grade levels indefinitely so that school nurses could assist with mass vaccination efforts in Henrico, two members of the Henrico Board of Supervisors disputed that explanation.

In her email Tuesday afternoon, Cashwell indicated that the reason for her decision to delay a return to in-person learning for the second time in seven days – from Jan. 25 for elementary school students to sometime late next month for all students – was to allow each school's nurse to participate in vaccination efforts, at the request of county officials. (Henrico is entering the second phase of vaccinations Jan. 13 – a phase that will include all school system employees, among others.)

But three hours later at the board's first meeting of 2021, Brookland District Supervisor Dan Schmitt and Three Chopt Supervisor Tommy Branin painted a different picture.

"[F]olks need to understand that we're thankful that our school nurses are willing and able to assist with vaccination support," said Schmitt, who minutes later was voted board chair for 2021. "But the nurses helping with vaccination is NOT the reason schools will not be ready to open on the 25th. Please know that.

"The board. . . would gladly give them their nurses back if safely opening schools was the answer on January 25th."

Instead, Schmitt said, the agreement between the county and its school system calls for school nurses to assist with vaccination efforts outside of their contractually obligated hours with Henrico Schools – "and we are thankful for that assistance," Schmitt said.

"Let's be realistic here. With the percent positivity that we're experiencing right now and the workload with vaccinations, schools would likely not be prepared to open on the 25th of January even if they had 100% of their nurses back and ready to go."

Though Schmitt's comments were a direct rebuke of Cashwell's e-mail, he delivered them in a malice-free tone, even praising Cashwell's cooperation and flexibility.

"The work the balancing, the decisions that Dr. Cashwell has to make are difficult on a daily level," he said.

"Our goal, our collective goal as leaders of this county, is to get our nurses, our teachers, our public vaccinated so that we CAN safely re-engage in our schools and in other areas of our regular lives."

Branin, in his final statement as chair of the board, thanked School Board Chair Roscoe Cooper, III, who called Branin and Schmitt prior to Tuesday's meeting.

"I want to personally thank Roscoe for reaching out to clarify to me and to the vice chair that the misstatement that us using nurses out of their standard work hours was the reason for schools to be closing," Branin said.