Catholic schools in Palm Beach County and across the Treasure Coast are planning to reopen for in- person classes in the fall.

Superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Palm Beach Gary Gelo, made the announcement on Wednesday stating:

“It is the intention of the task force to have students back in the classroom come” the start of the new school year, August 10th.

While many schools in Palm Beach County have opted to continue distance learning, Gelo reported that he and his task force of seven principals say their decision to resume classes were based on suggestions from health officials and the results of the parent survey into their reopening plan:

“The task force reviewed much of the science provided by epidemiologists, pediatricians, state and local health departments, the CDC, and others, ” Gelo said.

“We also used the parent survey results from early June, which indicated that more than 74% of our parents wanted students to return to their classrooms. Ultimately, this became the goal of the task force: return students to the classrooms, where learning is maximized through teacher and student interaction.”

The schools plan to reopen in line with the Florida Education Commission’s recent order to resume classes, but say that they are also prepared to “pivot” and ” adapt to an ever-fluid situation,” which may include further at home learning.

Many of the schools under the plan include:

St. Ann Catholic School, St. Luke Catholic school, Sacred Heart School, St. John Paul II, and Cardinal Newman High School. Click here for the full list.