A group of D.C. lawmakers is demanding Mayor Muriel Bowser release more information about how D.C. Public Schools will keep students and teachers safe if campuses open for in-person learning in November.

In a letter sent to Bowser this week, four members of the D.C. Council asked the mayor to share more details about safety protocols and standards for school buildings by Sept. 30. At-large Councilmember Robert White Jr., who signed the letter, said parents do not have enough information to decide if they should send their children back to school.

“You have to give parents some heads up, some notice, for them to evaluate what is going to be an incredibly difficult decision,” said White, also a DCPS parent. “At this point, they have no information on which to start making that decision.”

A spokeswoman for Bowser did not immediately return DCist/WAMU’s request for comment.

The school system, which enrolled more than 51,000 students last school year, has not officially said if it will start offering in-person learning. But Bowser said last week she hopes the school system will be prepared to offer a mix of in-person and online learning when the second grading quarter starts Nov. 9.

About a dozen principals have submitted proposals to offer some in-person instruction, she said. The city is in Phase 2 of reopening, which allows schools to offer in-person classes with safety precautions.

All students in the city’s traditional public schools have been learning virtually since the academic year began in late August. Some charter schools, which educate about half of the city’s public school students, are educating small groups of students in person.

The school systems in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, two of the largest in Virginia, plan to start bringing small groups of students back to classrooms in October.

Fairfax County Public Schools plans to provide in-person instruction for select students, including elementary school children with disabilities and English learners. In Loudoun, about 7,000 students in kindergarten through second grade are expected to return to in-person.

In the District, the Washington Teachers’ Union has fought plans to reopen campuses during the coronavirus pandemic.

The union has questioned whether the city can provide enough personal protective equipment for teachers and has said some school buildings lack adequate ventilation systems, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests schools upgrade before reopening.

In the letter to Bowser, the councilmembers asked the mayor to provide more information about access to personal protective equipment, more learning space and cleaning services.

The lawmakers also asked for an update about building ventilation and urged the city to evaluate all school buildings and provide safety upgrades.

“Given how little the Council and our communities currently know about the steps we will take within schools to protect against the spread of COVID-19, we run the risk of reopening schools only to have parents refuse to re-enroll their children,” the letter said.

D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh, who represents Ward 3, said she toured schools virtually before the start of the academic year and encountered one school building where the windows could not open. Residents are worried about adequate air circulation and having enough room to safely space students in class, she said.

“I’m not saying that a lot isn’t being done. It’s just we don’t know what’s being done,” said Cheh, who also signed the letter. “Parents are anxious. Teachers are anxious. And we need to keep them informed so we can build confidence if and when we do go back.”

Brianne Nadeau, who represents Ward 1, and Trayon White, Sr., who represents Ward 8, also signed the letter.