'Moving target': Schools deal with new plans, Trump demands

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — With little more than a month before millions of U.S. schoolchildren go back to class, much is still up in the air - and not just because of the surging number of coronavirus cases nationwide.

Last week, President Donald Trump and his administration demanded schools fully reopen right away, calling for new guidance from federal health officials and slamming schools that want to bring students back for only a few days a week.

At the same time, some states are just now issuing their own directives, and school district leaders say they expect those guidelines to be revised again before the classroom bells ring.

While there's no indication school administrators are changing their plans yet because of the latest word from the White House, they are working on multiple reopening scenarios. Those cover everything from where students will eat lunch to navigating online learning.

Here is a look at what several school districts are planning and discussing.

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NEW DANCE

Like many schools, the Forth Worth Independent School District in Texas will give parents a choice between in-person and remote learning. So far, about 40% have opted for virtual school, said Clint Bond, district spokesman.

The district is designing its plan with guidance released by the Texas Education Agency on Tuesday, but administrators are paying attention to the debate in Washington and waiting to see whether any new rules or clarified guidance comes from the Centers for Disease Control, Bond said.

“It hasn’t caused us to do anything right now,” he said.

Schools will adjust to allow for social distancing depending on the number of students who opt to attend. Among the considerations: Plexiglas separators for multi-student desks, separating individual desks and even using gyms,...