HOUSE RESOLUTION 10

(By Delegates Jennings, Hanna, J. Kelly, L. Pack, B. Ward, D. Jeffries, McGeehan, Smith, Westfall, Mallow, Horst, Anderson, Conley, Foster, Graves, Hott, J. Jeffries, Kimes, Nestor, J. Pack, Phillips, Pritt, Reynolds, Rohrbach, Steele, Storch and Sypolt)

[Introduced February 26, 2021]

Expressing the will of the House on the reopening of public schools for in-person learning.

Whereas, Opening schools for daily in-person learning as safely and quickly as possible, and keeping them open, is important given the many known and established benefits of in-person learning; and

Whereas, The lack of daily in-person learning has for many children caused an immeasurable loss of the academic progress, social interaction, emotional stability and structure necessary for healthy mental and physical development; and

Whereas, For many families, economic well-being is largely dependent upon a predictable routine wherein daily in-person learning affords the parents greater opportunities for gainful employment; therefore, be it:

Resolved by the House of Delegates:

That by March 1, 2021, all public schools in West Virginia are to be open for in-person learning, five days per week, and are to resume all interscholastic and intermural sports; and, be it

Further Resolved, That all public schools in West Virginia should take actions to reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but that a student may not be sanctioned, restricted, or punished for the failure to wear a face-covering or mask.