CHARLOTTE COUNTY — School is still on in southwest Florida, despite Monday’s Circuit Court decision.
We spoke with Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties, and they all said they are still moving forward with in-person classes, even though legally, they now won't risk their funding if they don't.
Charlotte Schools spokesperson Michael Riley said they aren't making any changes now, because the ruling could be overturned by a higher court.
“We’ve seen this decision. It’s already been appealed. We’re going to continue with our plans to open on August 31st," said Riley.
That’s the decision Collier and Lee County Schools are making as well. Collier sent us a statement, saying in part "Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) respects the Court’s opinion but also recognizes the likelihood of an immediate appeal. Therefore, CCPS will move forward with its plans to safely reopen our schools.”
Lee County Schools sent us a letter from the Florida Department of Education, showing the district’s reopening plan has been approved.
But there is still reason for concern.
On Monday in Charlotte County, the positivity rate for people being tested for COVID-19 was 12%. That's more than double the rate that the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for reopening.
We asked Riley what it would take to close a school. He said the district is relying on the Department of Health to make that call.
“To make a decision to close a school, we would probably defer to them to make that. They’re going to be, we’re educators, and they’re healthcare facilitators, and thy are the experts in that area, and we really aren’t," said Riley.
But not everyone agrees with the decision to reopen schools.
In Hillsborough County, two state senators and four state representatives signed a letter, saying in part “Our local school district cannot afford to lose the $23 million in state funding… this is nothing short of a state-sponsored extortion, and the safety of our community is being held for ransom."
But while the issue continues to be debated in court, Riley says the district is just trying to make reopening as safe as possible.
“We realize it’s going to be a challenge, it really will be," said Riley.
Riley said the safety measures they have in place include spacing out desks and requiring masks in the building. The district expects more than 12,000 students in total to return in-person next week.
