Citing data, Vt. eases several school restrictions
The American flag is shown at Woodstock High School & Middle School in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Starting Saturday, public K-12 schools in Vermont will be able to hold sports competitions, use certain communal spaces, and have greater flexibility in how they group students in their buildings.
These new allowances result from an updated "step level" under statewide guidance amid the pandemic, according to Education Secretary Dan French, who made the announcement Tuesday at a press conference. That guidance includes two levels of virus mitigation strategy. As of Saturday, all public schools in Vermont can move from "Step 2" — where they started the year Sept. 8 — to the less restrictive "Step 3."
French said the decision comes after a review of the COVID-19 health conditions throughout Vermont and the schools' ability to implement statewide guidance. He said the few COVID-19 cases in schools so far resulted from the virus being brought into school, not transmitted in the building — also a key factor leading to Tuesday’s announcement.
"To date, we have not seen transmission of the virus in schools," French said.
He emphasized that health precautions meant to limit the spread of COVID-19 are still the same.
"All the basic mitigation strategies, such as staying home when you're sick, completing the daily health check, wearing a facial covering, social distancing and washing your hands remain in place and must be followed," he said.
The new step level means that, as of Saturday, interscholastic sports competitions can start. The timing of the change was meant to give sports teams a full weekend to resume games, French noted.
Additionally, spaces like cafeterias and gymnasiums can resume their traditional uses, though of course with restrictions.
"(Those spaces) can return to their regular uses, but under smaller group sizes, staggering the use of the space, and doing the required cleaning between uses," French said.
The change also gives schools more flexibility in grouping students, he said. Though the student "pods" required in Step 2 can still play an important role, they are not required under Step 3.
"This will provide a greater flexibility for grouping students by subject, which is particularly important for high schools," French said.
He noted this does not alter any guidance regarding in-person instruction; the decision on whether to offer in-person learning or not still resides with local school districts. But Step 3 will give schools more flexibility in how they offer those learning opportunities.
"We know ... that in-person instruction is very important for the healthy development and academic success of our students, particularly for our younger students," French said. "So, we believe it is critical to continue to work towards more in-person instruction while the conditions are optimal to do so."
French also thanked Vermonters for their adherence to public health measures, which has limited the spread of COVID-19. State officials have said the low prevalence of the virus in Vermont was an important factor that allowed schools to reopen, though with restrictions, this fall. Vermont has the lowest COVID-19 test positivity rate of any state in the nation.
"If we want to keep schools open and do what is best for our kids, we have to continue to work together," French said.
— Gareth Henderson
