In February, Governor Northam shared his plans to support the idea to extend school into the summer with The Washington Post. 

¨One of the things that I think is very important is that we extend our classrooms this summer to allow our children to catch up so that everybody will be ready in the fall,¨ said Northam. ¨We’re working with our teachers, our school boards, and our superintendents.¨

Northam stated that he believes people want their kids back in school no matter what, which could possibly be done outside in warm weather to help with social distancing. However, some Virginia residents disagree with the idea.

¨School being extended would complicate things so much more than they already are. For people already struggling with motivation, this could really affect their mental health,¨ said freshman Destiny Henson. ¨Summer for the majority of students is such a refreshing period of time, and it’s a chance to focus on ourselves. We could provide extensive study groups for those who need it.”

Northam later shared that this would not be a mandatory school thing; it would be for kids who struggled this semester or failed. Federal money would be made available to help the teachers add to their current teacher salaries. A recent poll conducted revealed that 81 percent believe an extended school year would not be a good idea. 293 students were surveyed.

¨I think it’s a great idea for students who have fallen behind, but I feel the seniors should not be affected, especially if they have met all the requirements. They should graduate as normal,¨ said PE teacher Yolanda Boothe. ¨I feel for the students because many students need a break. It should only be done for students who have fallen behind or who need the extra time to master certain SOL curricula like math, sciences, and or English classes.¨