NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville’s school year will start off virtually instead of in person due to the growing spread of COVID-19, local school officials announced Thursday.
Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle said students won’t be returning to classrooms from the Aug. 4 start of the school year until through at least Labor Day.
“This will allow social distancing, mask mandates and other measures to take effect and reduce the spread of COVID-19 before tens of thousands of students and staff return to our schools, which could potentially spread the disease among our people and in the community if we’re not careful,” Battle said at a news conference.
Battle says Nashville has seen some of its worst daily totals for COVID-19 confirmed cases in the last week, as cases rise nationally as well. Tennessee reported another 1,600 confirmed cases Thursday, while Nashville reported another 688, the city’s highest single-day total since the pandemic began.
The decision to start the year with remote classes comes a day after President Donald Trump threatened to hold back federal money if school districts don’t bring their students back in the fall.