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Hillsborough County Schools to consider 2-week delay to start school

The new start date could fall on Monday, Aug. 24.

TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Addison Davis wants to delay the start of the new school year.

Davis announced Wednesday he plans to recommend a two-week delay to the start of the 2020-21 school year because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

He will ask the school board to consider an Aug. 24 start date during a 1 p.m. Thursday workshop. A final vote will happen during an emergency board meeting on July 23. 

School board chairwoman Melissa Snively says the delay is a reasonable request to consider.

"There are a lot of things to weigh out," Snively said. "We can make a decision tomorrow, or next Thursday, but it could change a week later because of the virus situation so it's really difficult to make solid decisions that last any length of time."

The tentative start to the school year is Aug. 10, but it, like many districts, has been in flux because of spiking COVID-19 cases in recent weeks across Florida. According to the Department of Health, there are 301,810 reported cases COVID-19, with 21,018 cases in Hillsborough County.

Manatee, Sarasota, and Polk schools have all similarly delayed the start of classes.

Hillsborough County Public Schools said it is partnering with Tampa General Hospital and USF Health to help it with its reopening plan. It will include a review of all school, student, teacher, staff, visitor and transportation plans in an effort to keep people safe, a news release states.

"The unpredictability of this virus makes the recommendations and expertise from medical experts invaluable for HCPS as we look to reopen our doors carefully to our students, teachers, and staff," Davis said in the release. "We look forward to collaborating with them to clarify safety procedures and actively communicate expectations prior to the start of a new school year."

The district has several models for reopening, including back to school as normal with health and safety changes, as well as a hybrid rotational model blending in-classroom instruction with e-learning.

RELATED: Here are the reopening plans for Tampa Bay school districts

The superintendent says the district won't pick just one model, but virtual learning and e-learning will be available for all students.

The deadline to enroll for Hillsborough Virtual K-12 is July 24.

Face coverings will be required among students and staff in an in-person learning environment.

The announcement comes on the same day teachers protested outside the state Board of Education meeting at Hillsborough’s Strawberry Crest High School in Dover, saying the idea of reopening schools across the state is "absolute insanity." 

"I'm disappointed if people feel like we're not really giving it an effort to create a safe place for students and giving people choices," Snively said.

RELATED: Here’s what a pediatric infectious disease doctor says about DeSantis' claim kids' COVID risk is 'incredibly low'

10 Tampa Bay's Josh Sidorowicz contributed to this report.

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