Local School Districts Prepare Contingency Plans to Continue Education During COVID-19
March 9, 2020
After staff member working at a school in Newmarket, New Hampshire, was contacted by the CDC and urged to self-quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19, Superintendent Susan Givens canceled school throughout the district. Now, other districts statewide “are drafting contingency plans to educate children if schools are forced to close.” As recommended by the CDC, “school districts that decide to close [should] determine if they will require any type of waivers with respect to federal funding thresholds for in-person instructional hours and seat time for students.” According to Frank Brogan, assistant secretary in the DOE’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, ESSA “has different flexibilities built within it upon request” to help schools navigate federal requirements.