Barron Trump will enter ninth grade this fall. However, he may have to stick with online learning as his school, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, will remain close due to the health concerns amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Earlier last week, Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles announced that all schools in the county will not reopen until "at least" October 1, according to People. He, reportedly, stated that they based their decisions on "science and data," which suggest that it is not safe yet for students and teachers to attend on-campus classes.
Gayles, also, cited the apparent rise in local cases of the novel coronavirus, deeming the decision as "necessary" to secure and "protect" the residents. At the time of writing, the number of cases in Maryland has reached 93,000 with a total of 3,536 deaths.
In previous months, Barron Trump's school did not have a clear decision about on-campus and online classes. Reports said that the institution's website revealed that it was planning for either of the two.
There were, also, plans on incorporating a "staggered schedule" for the students, which would, reportedly, allow social distancing. These days, however, St. Andrew's website states that it is preparing for either a distance learning or a "hybrid model," according to CBS News. In the end, the publication said that this opens the possibility of the school pursuing off-campus learning until March.
The news about the reopening of schools comes after Donald Trump's statements about the issue. On July 22, he asserted that he would be "comfortable" sending Barron Trump back to school amid the pandemic crisis.
Aside from his youngest son, this, also, reportedly, applied to his grandchildren, claiming that he would like to see the schools open, "100 percent." A day later, however, his tone seemingly changed, stating that areas with high cases of COVID-19 may "delay" their in-person and on-campus classes.
Reports noted that the U.S. President has likely spent most of the summer season pushing schools in the country to reopen this fall. He, also, allegedly, threatened these institutions, noting that he will cut government fundings.
Following his strong stance on the matter, many individuals wondered whether he, as well as Ivanka Trump, will send Barron Trump and all the other young Trumps back to school at the start of the semester. For months, though, the U.S. President and the First Daughter remained tight-lipped about the issue. The same is, also, said to be true about the First Lady, Melania Trump.
