COLUMBUS, Ohio — Although parts of Ohio are slowly beginning to reopen, Gov. Mike DeWine has said all K-12 schools will remain closed for the foreseeable future with the threat of coronavirus still very real.
DeWine says there is not currently a safe way for students to come back in a socially distant way, and with a vaccine still not close to being completed, some have wondered if school buildings will remain shuttered when the new academic year is slated to start in the fall. During his latest press briefing, however, the governor said state officials are considering a variety of options, including a "hybrid" model.
"[You'd be] really having students there for two days [a week], other students there for two days, but you're doing the distance learning during the entire period of time," he said.
Under this system, administrators would hope to maintain social distancing by limiting the number of students at each facility per day. While the plan is gaining some traction within the Ohio Department of Health, DeWine emphasized that several other scenarios are being considered, and that districts are still giving their input and statistics as well.
"Come up with what is unique to you," he said in a message to the districts. "Come up with different options."
The proposal came against a somewhat somber backdrop for Ohio educators on Tuesday, as DeWine announced he would be slashing $465 million from the state education budget amid a tax revenue shortfall caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the governor is hoping there won't be any more cuts, he is not making any guarantees.
"We don't know exactly where we're going," he said. "We wanted to take this [step] because we felt that it would give us a better chance to have more stability as we go through this next year."