Virginia will begin a phased approach to slowly resume in-person classes in schools across the state, Gov. Ralph Northam said during a press briefing Tuesday. It will begin with summer school and continue during the coming academic year.

All PreK-12 schools will be required to deliver new instruction to students for the 2020-2021 academic year, regardless of the operational status of school buildings, said the governor. And there are opportunities for school divisions to begin offering in-person instruction right away to specific groups of students.

In response to the spreading pandemic, Virginia schools closed on March 23 for the remainder of the academic year, making it one of the first states to take such a step. Now, Northam said, the time has come to begin the process of getting back into the classroom.

“Resuming in-person instruction is a high priority, but we must do so in a safe, responsible and equitable manner that minimizes the risk of exposure to the virus and mee...