As I write this article in October, I want to put a stake in the ground to say that it is time to plan for our students to safely return to school. This is not an issue for which the County Council has direct authority. Frederick County has an independent, elected Board of Education. However, the elected school board has failed to take a leadership stance on this. The inertia of virtual school and doing nothing is easier than leadership, but it is leadership that we need in Frederick County.

Our surrounding jurisdictions, private schools, and most of the country have returned or have definitive plans to return to in-person education. They are conducting classes safely, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) criteria with masks and distancing. Governor Hogan, who has been as good on the pandemic as any leader in the country has strongly urged that it is time to return to school.

We hear from folks that our leaders should follow the science. We have data. The national data indicates that in-person schooling is not a major contributor to spreading COVID. A study of over 200,000 students in 47 states revealed an infection rate of 1.3 student infections per 1,000 students and 2.2 infections per 1,000 staff. Rates of infection were consistently lower than the surrounding community rates indicating that students in schools are not driving the spread of the virus. We cannot wait until the infection risk is zero.

For the near term, it is likely that this virus will continue to be within the population. It is something that we will have to learn to live with and take practical measures to mitigate its spread. Sadly, after waiting 8 months, it does not appear that this virus will disappear or dramatically decline. Our Board of Education should put forward a definitive plan to get our students back in classrooms. The cost of virtual education is not zero. It has a human toll and is not a substitute for in-person learning. Our school system was recently ranked in the top 5% of the state and it is vital to remain a top tier public school system. It is unacceptable to just wait for conditions to improve. Of course there are unanswered questions and challenges, but it is the job of the Board of Education to face those challenges and overcome the obstacles to get our children safely back in school.

This is the most pressing issue currently in Frederick County. The Governor has said its time. The State School Board has said its time. The CDC itself has said its time. In Frederick County, only the Board of Education has the power. It is time to contact the Board of Education to let them know that it is time to overcome the challenges and set a date for safe in school return for our students.

There were other issues that the Council acted on over the past month. The County Council took up the first veto override of charter government that would have exempted in-law suites from the $7,500 punitive impact fee. There were four votes to override, but an override does require 5 votes so the veto was upheld. This means that in-law suites with a kitchen that are more than 801 square feet or more will be subject to a $7,500 county tax.

Further issues that the County Council has been working on include implementation of the state mandate for office building recycling (for office buildings of a certain size), dividing the largest county division (without adding positions) into a Water and Sewer Division and a Solid Waste Division, and the beginning of planning for the future of the Sugarloaf Mountain area. Stay well.