Saying the numbers are simply "trending the wrong way" Columbus City Schools superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon says the district is halting the move back to classrooms for all but a few students.
In a letter to the community Tuesday afternoon, Dixon announced students will remain in remote programs through the end of the semester in mid--January. The exception will be Career and Technical Education students whose education requires hands-on on work, and some students Pre-K to 12th grade that have specific complex needs.
Last week Franklin County was one of 29 counties upgraded to a level three public health advisory, and the number of cases in the city of Columbus have been rising as well. One of the criteria Dixon laid out for a return to classrooms was a 4-week sustained decline in COVID-19 numbers.
The district has faced pushback in negotiations with the Columbus Education Association over a return to the classroom. The teachers union had not reached an agreement over the criteria for return during the August contract talks, and were concerned the district was not prepared.
Columbus Schools parents have also become increasingly vocal in the past two two weeks, and many threatened to pull their children from the hybrid program, which features Columbus teachers leading classes online, and placing them in the self-guided Digital Academy.
