TOLEDO, Ohio — A return to the classroom for schools in Lucas County comes with excitement or disappointment, depending on who you're asking. That's because many people say they still have concerns about COVID-19.
President of the Toledo Federation of Teachers Kevin Dalton said the union always had a goal to get back to in-person learning, but there has to be a balance.
"That goal must be met with a balance and commitment to safety. Our concern, quite honestly, is the district has announced what they're calling a march to yellow, and what we want to avoid is a race to a reckless reopening," Kevin Dalton said.
Dalton said union members want to be face-to-face with students while feeling safe at the same time.
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department officials said districts are working to decrease the likelihood of exposure.
With every school district in Lucas County going back to some form of in-person learning, Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski said COVID-19 cases in these schools will be inevitable.
What will matter is how soon the district can catch the virus and do the contact tracing.
"It's just something that we need to realize and it's the quick response by the schools and then with public health help to ensure that we address that problem as quickly as possible and then alleviate the ability of an exposure past that initial case," Zgodzinski said.
School leaders continue to have weekly meetings with Zgodzinski. He said he's happy with what he's seeing and hearing, but there is always going to be a risk.
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