CDC provides school reopening guidance, concern remains

SHOREWOOD, Wis. - The CDC provided guidance Friday, Feb. 12 for how schools can reopen safely as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

The agency's document is guidance -- keyword guidance -- and states that strict mask-wearing and social distancing would be necessary for a safe return to the classroom.

The guidance was highly-anticipated as more and more school districts open up, including in Shorewood. But the district was still virtual at the beginning of this year, which led some parents to seek an alternative; St. Robert's School is right across the street and has been following what is now the CDC's guidance.

St. Robert's expected 255 students this year. Instead, it has 315. FOX6 News saw practices in place that are found in the CDC guidance -- distancing, hand washing and mask wearing. 

"We removed a lot of furniture so that we could spread desks out," said Lauren Beckmann, the school's principal.

The CDC calls for contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine.

"I think when we took on this project this fall, we were insecure about where it might be led, but the results have been phenomenal," Beckmann said. "I would tell you it’s a lot of work, but it’s really not that hard to get it right...we’ve had only a few cases of COVID this year."

Across Wisconsin, parents have worried about what to do in the pandemic. Cindy Mich, a Wauwatosa Public School parent, is pushing the district to fully return to in-person learning.

"Their grades are down significantly, their attention span, their morale, their whole overall mental well being isn’t where it needs to be," said Mich.

Milwaukee Public Schools teacher Luz Hernandez, though, is worried.

"As much as we love our students, and love the families that we work with, we are scared to go back into the classroom until we are fully vaccinated," Hernandez said. "It’s for our safety, the safety of our families, the safety of our students and their families."

The CDC said vaccination of teachers isn't totally necessary to reopen. The CDC director said there is very little transmission in schools when there is masking and distancing.

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The new guidance said when things get risky, that middle and high schools may go virtual with younger classes going hybrid -- partly online, partly in person.

The Wisconsin Legislature is now going to be rewarding public school districts that open for in-person learning.