RENO, Nev. (AP) – On-again off-again classroom schooling was called off again Thursday in northern Nevada, where administrators also canceled distance learning due to smoky air blanketing the Reno area from a nearby wildfire.
Washoe County school Superintendent Kristen McNeill posted a message late Wednesday calling off instruction for the safety of students, teachers and staff members.
District officials delayed the start of the school year one day on Monday, also due to smoke.
Thousands of students were in classrooms Tuesday and Wednesday – using masks, social distancing and other precautions to help guard against the spread of COVID-19.
In the Las Vegas area, the state’s largest school district is due to open next week, but only with remote instruction.
Teachers in the Reno and Sparks area have protested plans for in-person instruction, citing health and safety concerns.
But Washoe County School District trustees voted to open elementary classrooms five days a week, with middle and high schools alternating between distance- and in-person learning every other day. Parents can opt for strictly online instruction.
The fire near Loyalton, California, has burned an estimated 72.5 square miles (188 square kilometers) since it was sparked by lightning on Friday. It forced evacuations and destroyed at least five homes and six other buildings.
