As a result of dramatically improved #COVID19 health metrics across the state, today I announced that every county school system in Maryland is now fully authorized to begin safely reopening.

Details: governor.maryland.gov/2020/08/27/gov…

The authority to reopen continues to rest with county school systems, but nearly everyone agrees that there is no substitute for in-person instruction. It is essential that we all work together on flexible hybrid plans to safely get some of our kids back into classrooms.

Maryland State Department of Education Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon urges local school systems to reevaluate their modes of instruction at the end of the first quarter. The state is making $10 million in grant funding available to help systems that are able to move toward in-person instruction.

To support this process, updated guidance and benchmarks have been issued today by the Maryland Department of Health in collaboration with Maryland State Department of Education.

Read the guidance: governor.maryland.gov/wp-content/upl…

I want to sincerely thank all of the parents, child care providers, teachers, and staff for their hard work to adapt to very difficult circumstances in recent months. We are all working hard for you, and we will get through this together.