Barron Trump's School Gets the OK to Open

Gov. Larry Hogan overturned Montgomery County mandate to close private schools through Oct. 1
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 4, 2020 9:01 AM CDT
Barron Trump's School Gets the OK to Open
In this Nov. 26, 2019, file photo, President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and Barron Trump walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.   (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File)

President Trump has been quite vocal about his desire to see schools open amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, an order from the Maryland governor may see Trump partly get his wish in one part of that state, in a decision that could affect his own son. On Friday, an order was issued that mandated private and parochial schools in Montgomery County, Md., remain closed for in-person instruction through Oct. 1, per WTOP. But on Monday, Gov. Larry Hogan overturned that mandate, issuing his own emergency order that said the opening or closure of nonpublic schools should be determined by the schools themselves, with input from parents, USA Today reports. The governor's new directive could affect whether St. Andrews Episcopal School, the prep school that 14-year-old Barron Trump attends, opens in the fall.

St. Andrew's, which was to announce its plans next week, had been mulling either a virtual-only program or a hybrid at-home/in-school plan for the fall, per Business Insider. Montgomery County Public Schools had already announced last month its students would do their first semester online—and Hogan says if public schools and superintendents were able to make their own decisions after consulting with health officials, private schools should have that same opportunity, as long as they stick to CDC and local health guidelines. "The blanket closure mandate imposed by Montgomery County was overly broad and inconsistent with the powers intended to be delegated to the county health officer," Hogan says in his statement. Asked last month if he'd be OK with his son or grandkids attending school in person in the fall, Trump said he was "comfortable" with the idea, per USA Today. (More Barron Trump stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X