Representative Anna V. Eskamani submitted the following letter to Orange County School Board Members and our Superintendent.
July 13, 2020
Dear Orange County School Board Members & Superintendent:
In advance of tomorrow’s School Board Meeting to discuss the potential re-opening plans of Orange County Public Schools, I feel compelled to amplify the voices of our constituents– parents, teachers, administrators, and students alike — who are requesting that Orange County, at the very least, push back the re-opening of brick-and-mortar schools to August 31st.
I know these are difficult times, and no decisions are easy ones. But the facts speak for themselves: Florida has not contained COVID-19, and in one day we broke a U.S. record with 15,300 new positive cases recorded. Central Florida now has 43,989 cases, up 2,545 from a day earlier. The majority were in Orange County, where a record-breaking 1,371 new cases were reported on Sunday for a total of 18,001. Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are steadily increasing, and more than 4,000 Floridians have died.
There is a glimmer of hope — the rate of positive coronavirus tests in Orange County dipped below 11% on Monday for the second day in a row. But the World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate of less than 5% as a threshold to determine if enough testing is being done and how much the virus is spreading in a region.
We’re not there yet and rushing towards the re-opening of schools will not only impede local efforts to contain COVID-19, it could also endanger the lives of at-risk communities which include those who attend and work at our schools along with their loved ones. Dr. Raul Pino, our County Health Director, stated today that fewer people between the age of 20 and 40 are making up new cases of the virus, indicating that the pandemic is shifting to an older and more vulnerable population.
Pushing back the original start date of schools will provide our region with more data to make informed decisions and allow teachers and administrators to prepare for new and safer learning environments.
As the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reiterated late last week: “Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue re-opening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff. Science should drive decision-making on safely re-opening schools. Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics. We should leave it to health experts to tell us when the time is best to open up school buildings, and listen to educators and administrators to shape how we do it.”
Thank you for your time, and leadership during this unprecedented time.
Sincerely,
Representative Anna V. Eskamani
Florida House of Representatives, District 47