It is not safe to return to school right now. The U.S. is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic and I feel that it is unsafe for everyone at school to be on campus. 

One reason it is unsafe to return is that almost 3,000 students would be on campus if everyone attended. According to the CDC, one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the virus is to stay six feet away from one another. This is virtually impossible to do with so many students in one location. 

Another reason this is unsafe to have students return to campus is that the CDC notes that poor ventilation is another contribution to the spread of COVID-19.  

Our campus is not properly ventilated, meaning that there is no A.C. and the classrooms are too small for their maximum capacity to be considered to have proper airflow. It will take a long time to install a proper ventilation system for Bowie and may not be ready for students’ return. 

A third reason that it is unsafe to return to school is due to the fact that many teachers, staff, and students have underlying health issues. According to the CDC, people with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, compromised immune systems, and many more are much much more susceptible to COVID-19. 

As many people in the AISD community have underlying health conditions, many people also have family members with underlying health issues. It is unsafe to send those people to school, where they may be exposed to the virus and have family members whose lives are at risk with this pandemic.

Some may argue that wearing masks will make it safe to return to campus, but while this does reduce the risk, the most effective method of safety is to remain six feet away from others. 

Even if wearing masks are endorsed, students still will eat lunch if they return to campus. They will have to take off their masks for lunch breaks, drinking water, and potentially sports classes. It is unsafe to have students take off their masks. Masks are only effective if consistently worn.

Although many may argue that it is safe to return to school because COVID-19 cases are down, according to worldometers.info, cases have grown by 22,987,668 from September to October alone. 

One solution to have students back on campus safely is to alternate the days in which students return, or having students return in groups. This is much safer because there will be fewer students which will make it much more realistic to remain within a six-foot radius to one another.

In conclusion, I know the health of everyone is much more guaranteed if everyone is quarantined doing online school at their houses, making contact with only family members. 

The best way to bring this pandemic to an end is to keep everyone quarantined and limit interactions with one another by not attending school.