The St. Johns County School Board has hosted a workshop on Tuesday where they discussed the county's reopening plan for schools and how CARES funding will impact the district.
All public and charter schools must reopen brick-and-mortar schools five days per week for all students upon reopening in August, according to a new emergency order issued Monday by the Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.
The order states that "education is critical to the success of the state and to an individual, and extended school closures can impede the educational success of students, impact families' well-being and limit many parents and guardians from returning to work." The order goes on to list the reopening requirements for the 2020 through 2021 school year.
Those requirements include ensuring services that are legally required for all students, such as low-income services, English language learning and accommodations for students with disabilities are all maintained next school year, the order states.
That means that the only option for schools to not be physically open in August is if local Department of Health officials say schools cannot open, according to the emergency order.