Books returned to Henrico school libraries

Mar 25, 2022

Welcome back to another edition of Henrico Education Weekly.

This week marked the end of a months-long absence of two controversial novels in Henrico County Public Schools libraries.

THE BOOKS ARE BACK

Eight copies of the young adult novel “Out of Darkness” were returned to the shelves of HCPS libraries this week after being removed late last year.

Less than two weeks after “Out of Darkness” was removed from HCPS libraries, a parent challenged a young adult novel about a gay wizard.

Without saying the name of the book out loud, the Henrico School Board voted on Thursday to return the single copy of “I’m a Gay Wizard” to Godwin High School.

Two novels returned to Henrico school libraries after being removed for review

MASKING INJUNCTION COULD AFFECT HENRICO SCHOOL

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that a group of Virginia students, including one in Henrico, who are involved with a lawsuit against Gov. Glenn Youngkin can ask their schools for a mask mandate.

The lawsuit was filed by the parents of immunocompromised students and claimed that Youngkin’s executive order rescinding the statewide K-12 mask mandate violates federal antidiscrimination laws.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Judge Norman K. Moon said that the 12 families involved in the lawsuit could ask their schools for a mask mandate, and those schools could implement some required masking. However, school officials are in no way required to accommodate those students, and the injunction only affects the 12 plaintiffs in the case.

Judge rules that Henrico student and select others can ask schools for mask requirement

Q&A WITH CASHWELL

On March 16, 2020, Henrico Schools staff members reported to their schools and offices to plan for the logistics of a two-week closure intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

When Henrico Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell announced the two week closure, she had no way of knowing that most students wouldn’t return to brick-and-mortar schools for more than 500 days.

The two-week plan became the longest interruption to schooling in centuries and changed K-12 education as we know it.

Two years later: A conversation with Henrico Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell on the anniversary of school shutdowns

STEWARD STAYED OPEN

In contrast, I visited a school last week that remained open for the entirety of the 2020-2021 school year.

While enrollment in public schools across Henrico County and the state have taken a nosedive since the onset of the pandemic, families with the means have flocked to private schools like The Steward School in Western Henrico.

There are about 700 students enrolled in the JK-12 school this year, an 8% growth from the 2018-2019 school year, the last year before COVID-19 hit.

The obvious reason for Steward’s growth: the school was open for in-person learning during the 2020-2021 school year, while public schools largely remained virtual.