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Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing forward with his plan to reopen all schools to students next month as an essential way to help people get back to work.

But the Governor is also firm on letting parents have the final say on which students go back into the classroom.

The first day of school has always looked different from one county to the next.

“The fate of Miami-Dade County does not rest on the fate of what Dixie County does. That’s just a reality,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis said that won’t change under the order for schools to open.

“Obviously, we wish this thing would go away. That’s not how these things work,” said DeSantis.

In the end, DeSantis said the decisions on what COVID preventions will look like will be up to local boards and superintendents.

“You know, parents need to have the ability to opt for the type of learning they think is important, so if they are more comfortable in a distance learning environment, then they obviously need to have that choice,” said DeSantis.

And the Governor said there will not be wholesale testing of students on the first day or any other day of school unless someone is showing symptoms.

But Florida teachers fear the push to reopen schools is premature.

“There is a mix of high angst and there’s a mix of anger and disappointment. Our schools are not ready to open, not in in person teaching,” said Hedrick Ingram, President of the Florida Education Association.

And questions yet unanswered include what happens if someone tests positive.

“Do we shut down a school? Do we have a fourteen day quarantine of a school? Do we shut down a particular class or classes that are close to that? There are so many unanswered questions right now that I think we need to hit the pause button,” said Ingram.

While questions remain, the Governor expects the details to be worked out between local school districts and local health departments, which will have the final say on whether a school should stay open or close.

State Senator Linda Stewart of Orlando Thursday told the Governor no district should be forced into opening while the Governor relies on local officials to enact mask orders, saying each district should make a decision on the trending of new cases in the area.