VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach school board will hold off on deciding the fate of their high schools' winter sports season for now as COVID-19 cases make drastic increases across the region and state.
The school board was expected to vote Tuesday based on the city's current COVID-19 metrics.
After meeting other school officials, VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence thought it best to postpone the vote while continuing to monitor virus data.
Recent metrics have shown that the city's percent positivity and seven-day case average is in the "red zone." Metrics would need to shape up and move to the "yellow zone" for winter sports to happen.
The season has still been postponed. If cases continue to rise over the next couple of weeks, it's very possible the season could be called off.
Read Dr. Spence's full statement below:
During the Dec. 15 School Board meeting, it was announced that we would make our decision today on whether to hold winter sports at the varsity level in VBCPS. I recognize the difficulty in such a decision, not only for those tasked with making it, but also with those affected by it. Over the past weeks, but in particular last week, my team has been monitoring the health metrics as outlined in our Fall 2020 Plan, talking with our colleagues in the 757 and Region II, and consulting with local health officials. Yesterday, I spoke with several school division superintendents and the executive director of the VHSL about this dilemma. Afterward, I met with members of senior leadership and made the decision to postpone any decision on winter sports at this time. While we may, ultimately, still need to cancel the winter season, acknowledging the reality of our current health metrics does not mean we must be inflexible to other data points and potential changes at the state level. Therefore, over the next couple of weeks, my team will continue to monitor our health metrics, talk with our neighboring school divisions, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the VHSL, engage with our colleagues on exhausting all possibilities before making any final decision. Winter sports are still postponed at this time, and we will communicate again about this issue as new information arises.
