- The Washington Times - Thursday, February 4, 2021

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday he will announce a plan to push the school year into the summer months to make up for the time students were out of the classroom due to the coronavirus. 

No details have been released yet, but the announcement will come Friday morning, Mr. Northam said during a livestream interview with The Washington Post. 

“We want to extend our classrooms this summer to allow our children to catch up so that everybody will be ready in the fall,” the Democratic governor said. “We’re working with our teachers, our school boards, our superintendents.”

“It has to be a top priority for all of us to get our children back in the classroom,” he added. 

Last month, the Virginia Department of Education released new safety guidelines on how to safely transition back to in-person instruction with an emphasis on social distancing and other measures. 

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidance recommending that students return to classrooms, citing data showing that schools are low-risk for community spread. 

• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.

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