Table of Contents
The planned return for the former group of students was scheduled for Nov. 30, with the latter returning Dec. 7.
The change does not impact middle-school or high-school students who choose to return in person, because they were not scheduled to be back until early February.
The announcement comes just days after the Henrico School Board met and received an update from its health committee, which expressed confidence in the original in-person timeline, despite rising case counts in the region.
Today, though – the same day Henrico tied its highest single-day count of new COVID cases during the pandemic – the committee met again and expressed concern about the rising infection rates. In a letter to staff members, Superintendent Amy Cashwell wrote that "the sharp increases in two of the three core metrics" (new cases per 100,000 people during the past 14 days and percent positivity during the same timeframe) used by the Virginia Department of Health and school systems to weigh in-person return had convinced her to change course.
"Given the information we have today about the spread of COVID-19 in central Virginia, I believe that this adjustment is the most prudent course to protect the health and safety of our staff, students and community," she wrote.
All limited in-person learning that was scheduled during the weeks of Nov. 30-Dec. 4 and Jan. 4-8 also will be canceled, Cashwell wrote. It will take place during the weeks of Dec. 7-11 and Dec. 14-18, though.
Virtual learning will continue for all elementary school students with their current teachers through Jan. 11 for pre-K through second-graders and through Jan. 14 for third, fourth and fifth-graders, she wrote.
Cashwell made the decision with the support of the School Board, she said.
The change essentially follows a recommendation made by Brookland District School Board member Kristi Kinsella Oct. 22 to hold off on an in-person return until Jan. 11 at the earliest. That proposal didn't win support of any of the board's other four members at the time, however, and Kinsella was the lone member that day to vote against the plan to begin returning students Nov. 30.
She had reasoned that it wouldn't make sense to return students to schools just days after Thanksgiving – a time when experts project many people still will travel and gather with family and friends, meaning that the spread of COVID could increase afterwards.
In her letter to staffers today, Cashwell thanked employees for their efforts to prepare for in-person learning.
"You have worked so hard and thoughtfully to get us ready for expanded in-person learning," she wrote. "I regret the inconvenience and challenge this change in plans may pose to you as well as to our families. Given the information we have today about the spread of COVID-19 in central Virginia, I believe that this adjustment is the most prudent course to protect the health and safety of our staff, students and community."
Student intent surveys, indicating whether families would send their students back in person for the rest of the school year or keep them virtual instead, will remain in effect, according to Cashwell. Schools are beginning to let their families know the results of those surveys this week.
Full-day child care programs being offered in a number of Henrico schools by the Henrico Police Athletic League, Henrico Education Foundation and YMCA of Greater Richmond will be open until at least the beginning of winter break, Cashwell wrote.
Secondary school teachers – who had been told they'd need to return in person Nov. 30 – now will not have to report in person until Jan. 25.
