Barron Trump’s private school is among those under county orders to stay closed. President Donald Trump’s son won’t be going back into the classroom until later this fall.
The high school Barron Trump attends originally planned to return on Sept. 8. However, the Maryland county mandated nonpublic schools remain closed.
Dr. Travis Gayles, the Montgomery County Health Officer, ordered that in-person instruction remains closed until Oct. 1. He states that instruction should move online. Prior to Oct. 1, Gayles plans to evaluate whether the county should extend, terminate, or amend the order, according to Time.
On Friday, Dr. Gayles released a statement in regards to the decision. “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have based our decisions on science and data,” Gayles said. “At this point the data does not suggest that in-person instruction is safe for students or teachers.”
County Executive Marc Elrich shares the same opinion as Dr. Gayles. He says the decision “was made with one concern in mind – protecting the public health of our residents… we used data and science to guide us – not politics.”
On Monday, Gov. Larry Hogan blocked that order. As long as schools adhere to state and Centers for Disease Control Prevention guidelines, Hogan says private schools like Barron Trump’s can decide for themselves on reopening or not, USA Today reports. “This is a decision for schools and parents, not politicians,” Hogan said in a statement.
Hogan continued by adding that the Montgomery County order was “overly broad and inconsistent with the powers intended to be delegated to the county health officer.”
Barron Trump’s School is Closed, President Trump Weighs In
On numerous occasions, President Trump voiced his stance against schools remaining closed. Tuesday night, the President took to Twitter to simply write, “OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!!”
Furthermore, the president maintains that virtual learning does not prove to be as effective as in-person instruction. “Now that we have witnessed it on a large scale basis, and firsthand, Virtual Learning has proven to be TERRIBLE compared to In School, or On Campus Learning. Not even close! Schools must be opin in the Fall. If not open, why would the Federal Government give Funding? It won’t!!!”
[H/T Time]
