Birmingham City Schools To Continue Virtual Learning

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Birmingham City Schools, which started the semester with all of its students off campus, has extended its total virtual learning curriculum into February. Superintendent Mark Sullivan made the announcement Thursday.

"As we continue to face the challenge of increases in the number of COVID-19 cases in Birmingham and Jefferson County, the health and safety of our scholars, faculty and staff remain a very important concern," Sullivan said. "For this reason, Birmingham City Schools will continue with remote teaching and learning throughout the month of February."

Sullivan said the system will reassess the impact of the virus in mid-February and make an announcement regarding the steps it will take in March.

Most school systems in the Birmingham area are either on a hybrid virtual/in-person learning platform or are completely virtual.

Although daily new cases of COVID-19 in Jefferson County have decreased slightly over the last week, the state's largest county has reported more cases in December and January than it did over the summer when the pandemic had reached its first peak.

Gov. Kay Ivey Thursday extended the state's mandatory mask order into March, and said adhering to the state's Safer at Home order is still necessary.

"After the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the COVID numbers are higher than they were over the summer," Ivey said. "Quite frankly, we have run out of ways to stress that we must take this seriously."