While Mathews County Public Schools will be open for the 2020-2021 school year, and the calendar has not changed, the day-to-day schedule will look much different as the division continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.With the exception of two classroom days that each student in grades K-8 may attend, the first nine weeks of instruction will be entirely virtual.

The first day of school remains Monday, Aug. 31, but students in grades 9-12 will be learning remotely from the start and at least through Nov. 9.

The rest of the division’s student body will also be attending classes virtually, except for a two-week period at the start of the year. Superintendent of Schools Nancy Welch briefed school board members and the community on the reopening plans during a special meeting last Thursday night in the Harry M. Ward Auditorium at Mathews High School.

“This is not ideal; this is not what we want,” said Welch. But, given the circumstances with the ongoing pandemic, “it look...