Florida’s Education Commissioner, Richard Corcoran, ordered that all public and charter elementary and secondary schools open for their fall semester, with in-person classes at least five days per week.
Florida reported more than 6,000 new coronavirus cases today, a number likely reduced by the Independence Day weekend. The state’s seven day running average sits at 9,200 new cases, a three-fold increase in three weeks.
“Education is critical to the success of the state and to an individual, and extended school closures can impede the educational success of students, impact families’ well-being and limit many parents and guardians from returning to work,” Corcoran said according to News4Jax.
Corcoran ordered the schools to reopen while also “instruct[ing] school districts to follow the advice of state and local health officials.”