SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio – Shaker Heights School Superintendent Dr. David Glasner is planning for virtual education for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year — the first suburban Cuyahoga County district to make the move.

He presented the plan to the district’s board of education Tuesday afternoon and received feedback. Glasner will announce his final plan on Friday at 3 p.m.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health is considering recommending all Cuyahoga school districts make the same choice, said spokesman Kevin Brennan. “We are presently discussing the situation but have not made any recommendation to date.”

Glasner spoke Tuesday in an online forum: “I’ve read lots of research and spoken with many experts about reopening schools for students. And there is broad consensus that in order for students to return to school in person—it really requires a controlled community spread of the virus, that we have really limited the across our community. And unfortunately, we have not yet done that.”

To address childcare needs while parents work, the Shaker Heights Recreation Department is developing plans to provide childcare, including before- and after-care, as well as supervision during the school day, inside school buildings, Glasner said.

The Ohio Education Association has urged school districts in red or purple-alert counties to teach students remotely. Cuyahoga is one of 23 counties throughout Ohio that qualify as “red” under the state’s color-coded coronavirus alert system.

Cleveland, Akron and Columbus schools have announced they will start remotely. And the Franklin County Board of Health on Tuesday recommended that all schools in the county should go virtual for the beginning of the school year.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights system announced Wednesday evening to parents it is also adopting an all on-line learning model for the fall.

In Shaker, Glasner said the district will ensure that students are engaged in face-to-face instruction with their teachers and will include independent and small group learning.

“We believe that now that we’re planning for a remote start for an extended period of time like a semester will allow us to meet childcare and remote learning supervision needs better than we otherwise would have,” he said.

Joelle Magyar, superintendent of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights school district said she plans to meet with her district’s teachers’ union next week to determine whether her system will also choose online learning. She said she believes neighboring districts are looking at beginning the school year virtually, as well.