With the governor’s announcement last week providing a framework for reopening Virginia schools, Mathews County Public Schools has begun working on its own strategy for making a safe return to the classroom this fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Superintendent of Schools Nancy Welch briefed school board members on some initial thoughts on the process during Tuesday night’s meeting, which was held in the Mathews High School media center.

Currently, Mathews County and the rest of the state are in Phase II of the governor’s reopening plan, which limits congregations to 50 or fewer people. Given those parameters, it would be difficult to hold many necessary school functions, like school lunches.

However, Welch said that she hopes that Phase III could begin as soon as three or four weeks, depending on the spread of the coronavirus. While there is no announced number for gatherings permitted under Phase III at present, the figure of 100 has been tossed around, she said.

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