School Board Grants 14 Counties Approval for 4-Day, In-Person Instruction Through School Year’s End

West Virginia education officials emphasized the importance of in-person instruction during a Wednesday meeting of the state board of education.

State Superintendent Clayton Burch said most school systems in West Virginia are offering five days a week of in-person instruction while 14 counties have been granted a waiver to offer four days of in-person classes.

He said counties with the waiver are using their fifth day for a variety of purposes such as providing teachers with the time to keep up with students who remain in full-time virtual learning.

WV Governor’s Office

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Around 40,000 students are still completely online but Burch said this number is decreasing and he expects all students to return to in-person learning next school year.

State board of education members, as well as the superintendent, emphasized the importance of in-person classes for students.

“The more and more I’ve watched this pandemic, every single day a school is not open to children is a day that I’m worried they don’t have access to the supports,” Burch said. “And that’s academic, that’s the folks that look out for them, that’s a meal.”

The state board decided they won’t require counties to go five days a week with less than two months left in the school year but as counties plan for the fall, they want to see schools open five days a week.