Falls Church Schools To Expand Hybrid Learning In Late February

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Falls Church City Public Schools is looking toward late February to expand the hybrid of in-person and virtual learning for more students.

Special populations of students are the only group currently enrolled in hybrid learning at the school district. Superintendent Peter Noonan told the school board Tuesday that FCCPS is planning to bring back students with IEPs in kindergarten through third grade as early as next week. FCCPS is planning to keep other groups in virtual instruction until Feb. 22, when these remaining students would return to in-person learning.

The return would come as most FCCPS are soon expected to get fully vaccinated. Over 400 staff received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 18 at a vaccination clinic held by the Fairfax County Health Department. Noonan told the school board Tuesday that the health department will provide second doses to FCCPS staff on Presidents Day, Feb. 15. After that, close to 90 percent of FCCPS staff will be fully vaccinated.

"We have every intention following that to open on the week of Feb. 22. We expect everybody to come back in a hybrid, except for those families who made a decision to keep their students all online," said Noonan.

The superintendent said the hybrid approach is needed since children have not been vaccinated and can get and spread the coronavirus. Since schools will continue to emphasize mask wearing, social distancing and proper hygiene, classrooms will be limited to 50 percent capacity. He said FCCPS intends to fully reopen during the next school year unless other circumstances arise.

Noonan noted the reopening decision is based on health metrics, the Wednesday/Friday decision cycle, instructional or operational issues, and the vaccine. During the school board meeting, Noonan also noted a change in the health metrics in the last week. On the pandemic metrics dashboard, the percentage of positive PCR tests for Falls Church moved from the moderate risk to higher risk category for risk of transmission in schools. For the cases per 100,000 in the last 14 days, Falls Church remains in the highest risk category.