Solon Schools Move Forward With Remote-Only Education

SOLON, OH — The Solon Schools will proceed with a remote-only start to the school year, despite a downgrading of the COVID-19 threat in Cuyahoga County.

Last week, the Ohio Department of Health downgraded Cuyahoga County from a "red" or "Level 3" threat for COVID-19 spread to a "Level 2" or "orange." This is the first time since the color-coded system was unveiled that Cuyahoga County has been downgraded.

However, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) has not changed it recommendation to local school — districts should still open the year with remote-only education. The Solon Schools said they will follow the board's recommendations.

"The state color-coded risk advisory system is a “data-driven framework” that provides context for assessing and responding to the spread of COVID-19. However, the CCBH’s recommendations utilize this system as one of several indicators to drive the decision-making process," the Solon Schools said in a statement.

When issuing recommendations on school reopenings, the board will also look at these metrics:

• Increased testing capacity for children — The board wants more testing for kids and teens because there is currently "little to no testing for teens and children under 18."
• County risk level of "Orange" for several weeks — If Cuyahoga County remains "Orange" or lower for several weeks, that would reflect a sustained decrease in COVID-19 spread locally
• Fewer new case reports — Health officials want to see a steady decline in newly reported COVID-19 cases
• Lower positivity rates — Cuyahoga County needs to show a decline of COVID-19 positivity rates, preferably dropping below 5 percent for multiple weeks

"As we continue our communication with the CCBH, we will use its guidance to drive our own decision making. Should the CCBH guidance recommend a return to in-person learning prior to the end of the first quarter, we would shift to our in-person learning model as quickly as possible," Solon School officials said.