Hoover Could Delay Start Of School Year Amid COVID-19 Concerns

HOOVER, AL — Amid rapid spread of COVID-19 in Jefferson County, Hoover City Schools may opt to delay the start of the 2020-2021 school year, according to a statement from the school system Monday.

The school board will discuss the matter at its regularly scheduled meeting next Monday.

"Given we are currently under a Safer at Home Order until July 31, and given the number of COVID-19 cases are not showing a consistent decline, our school board will discuss whether a change should be made for the start of school," the Hoover Board of Education said in a statement Monday afternoon. "In addition, our teachers who will deliver instruction remotely must be trained on the online learning platform adopted by the Alabama State Department of Education."

The school system has posted a survey for parents to complete regarding their feelings on when the schools should open.

"Our central office administrators and school leaders are continuing the important work of preparing our school reopening plan which will be presented to the board on Monday, July 13," the board said. "Please be aware that a number of surveys and informational items will be shared with you throughout this week regarding our reopening plan, and please know your input is valuable to us."

State superintendent of education Dr. Eric Mackey announced June 26 that schools in Alabama will open as planned for the coming school year, but the look and feel of the schools in Alabama will be different as COVID-19 cases in the state continue to spread.

The Alabama State Department of Education released a "Roadmap for Reopening Schools" that Mackey outlined in his announcement in June.

State health director Dr. Scott Harris said social distancing protocols will be in place for school districts throughout the state, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Alabama. And schools can close or open based on individual circumstances.

Jefferson County continues to lead all counties in total cases, and added 189 more cases to its total Monday. That new case total was more than twice as high as any other county in the state.

Jefferson County's total of 5,410 COVID-19 cases is more than 1,000 higher than both Montgomery County and Mobile County, which have the second and third highest case totals, respectively.