Dinwiddie County Public Schools may switch back to virtual learning

DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Dinwiddie County Public Schools superintendent may recommend a temporary return to full virtual learning at tonight’s School Board meeting.

While the district resumed in-person learning for some students back in September. However, Kari Weston, DWPS superintendent, said while the school system has been a safe space for students and faculty, that may change in the near future.

Weston said there is currently increasing spread of the coronavirus in the community and the district is seeing an “overwhelming number of students and staff members out for Covid-related illnesses and exposures.”

As of Monday, the Chickahominy Health District’s 7-day testing average for the coronavirus is 16.8 percent.

“The School Board has entrusted me with the responsibility of our students’ and adults’ safety and welfare, and this charge is not something I take lightly,” Weston said in the facebook post. “I have spent countless hours reviewing our trend data, meeting with stakeholders, listening to health specialists, and reading research to ensure that I have all the information I need to make the most informed recommendation possible.”

She said if there are not improvements by the meeting, she will recommend all schools temporarily return to virtual instruction.

The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. on Jan. 12. You can view a livestream of the meeting online here.