The Lee County Board of Education voted Tuesday to start the year "with remote learning for all students, in addition to delaying the start date for students until August 17," according to a announcement release by the district.

The announcement cited concerns about the health and safety of students, their families and district employees, citing the latest information from East Alabama Medical Center and state health officials.

"This decision has not been made lightly; it has been made with full awareness of the ramifications," the announcement further states. "... It is our intention, when conditions warrant, to reopen schools for traditional, in-person learning in the safest manner possible.

"Should health conditions improve, we have a target date of September 9, 2020, for consideration to offer an alternating day 'soft' reopening with staggered attendance. More specific details regarding this approach will be shared closer to implementation.

District employees were instructed to return to work as originally planned.

Come back later for more details.