Solon Schools Move Forward With Remote-Only Education

Cleveland OH

24 August, 2020

8:53 AM

Description

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 locallyFewer new case reports — Health officials want to see a steady decline in newly reported COVID-19 casesLower 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.