ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan, on Thursday, announced that every county school system in Maryland is now fully authorized to begin safely reopening. Hogan cited improved COVID-19 health metrics across the state as his reason for making this decision.
“Nearly everyone agrees that there is no substitute for in-person instruction," Hogan said. "It is essential that we all work together on flexible hybrid plans to safely get some of our kids back into classrooms and into healthy and supportive learning environments.”
Ultimately, how and in what form of reopening is to be determined by the individual county systems. Despite Hogan's announcement, the Eastern Shore counties of Wicomico, Worcester, Caroline, Somerset, Dorchester, and Queen Anne's plan to begin the academic year in an all-virtual format.
Governor Hogan and Maryland State Department of Education State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon say they will visit school sites across the state in the coming weeks to observe systems that are bringing small groups of students back into a safe and educationally effective environment.