Governor: Schools will remain open

During a press conference Monday at Boggy Creek Elementary School in Kissimmee, Gov. Ron DeSantis said schools would remain open in the spring semester.

However, he noted that parents would still have the option for their children to continue virtual schooling.

“Schools will remain open for in-person instruction,” DeSantis said. “We will continue to offer parents choices for the spring semester. Every parent in Florida can take that to the bank.”

One stipulation is that school must notify parents if their child is struggling with virtual learning. In that case, that student would have to return to in-person learning unless the parents are adamant on opting out. But they must work with the school to create an education plan for the student to remain virtual.

“I think it’s a good model going forward,” DeSantis said.

The state of New York recent closed its public school and went to remote learning as the coronavirus pandemic increased. DeSantis disagreed with that measure, saying there was no evidence that it helped mitigate the virus.

“I would say closing schools due to the coronavirus is probably the biggest public health blunder in modern American history,” said DeSantis.

School across the state closed last school year due to a surge of the virus. Since they reopened, DeSantis said parents have approached and thanked him, saying that their children have been doing so much better.

“I think you can see that all across the state,” the governor added.