Anna Maria Chávez, Executive Director & CEO National School Boards Association, issued a statement regarding schools opening in the fall:

"Public schools have risen to meet an unprecedented challenge to continue educating schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic—an emergency unforeseen by most of the world. Public school districts faced a great test to continue educating schoolchildren, providing meals, and stretching their resources to do more to help students and their families. Parents, school boards, superintendents, principals, educators, and administrators adapted to an upended environment with great speed and agility to meet students’ needs. As local school boards plan for opening in the fall, their number one priority is to do everything within their means to provide students with a high-quality education in a safe and healthy learning atmosphere.

"The decision to open school buildings is best made at the local level. Each community is unique with different student needs, different infrastructure, and different resources. School boards, the stewards of education for more than 50 million students, know that successfully preventing or mitigating the spread of COVID-19 requires a multi-prong approach tailored to a school district’s needs. Every school board member is carefully weighing the information that is available and each school board is working with parents and health officials to make the best decision for the students and families in their community.

"Public schools have an amazing capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. Many school districts are now better equipped to facilitate remote learning, but students and school staff need more support—including from the federal government—to continue the progress that was started in March. In addition, the federal government has an essential role to play in providing resources to protect students’ health and welfare.

"With the right federal commitment, this challenging period can be turned into a transformational opportunity to improve student learning as public schools innovate."

Media Contact: Charlotte Blane cblane@nsba.org 703-838-6231