TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County School Board will vote next week on whether or not to delay the start of school by two weeks. 

During a school board meeting on Thursday, Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Addison Davis recommended pushing back the start of school from August 10 to August 24. Davis sited recommendations from the medical community as a reason for the delayed start.

During the board meeting, Superintendent Davis also unveiled a video showing the district what going back to traditional school will look like next month.

The video illustrated changes in how kids move about schools, how they will learn inside classrooms, and what kinds of social distancing and safety protocols will be in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

The deadline for the Declaration of Intent that was due back to the district by this Friday has been pushed back to Sunday, giving parents and guardians a couple extra days to decide and submit their plans for kids – whether they will return to the classroom or continue online learning from home.

As planning for the school year ramps up, some teachers and parents are continuing to protest the reopening of schools.

Two protests this week – one in Hillsborough County and one in Pinellas County – had teachers demanding no COVID-19 positive test results in either county for 14 consecutive days before schools re-open for traditional learning.

The State Board of Education met in Dover at Strawberry Crest High School Wednesday, saying its plans for schools and the incorporation of CDC guidelines will be enough to keep students and teachers safe.

When schools were shut down statewide in March, Florida was reporting around 160 total cases of COVID-19.

In the past week, more than 9,000 new cases have been reported every day.