DeVos: No more virtual schooling

Some local school districts have considered offering a mix of in-person and virtual classes in the fall because of the coronavirus. But in a call with governors on Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said schools must be “fully operational.”

Is that possible? It could cost the average school district $1.8 million annually to outfit its buildings for in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from the American Association of School Administrators and the Association of School Business Officials. But DeVos pointed to the “disaster” of distance learning attempts in Northern Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools in the spring, saying sticking with online classes just wasn’t an option. “Students across the country have already fallen behind,” she said. “We need to make sure that they catch up.”

Dig deeper: Read Laura Edghill’s report in Schooled about why it would cost so much to return to classrooms while keeping students safe.