Parents do not have to wait until the end of the first nine weeks to make the change. In many cases, it’s better to change sooner rather than later.
Many parents who signed their students up for virtual learning at the start of the school year because of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic are now ready to bring their children back to traditional learning in brick-and-mortar school buildings, district leaders are discovering.
Between Sept. 8 and Sept. 21, enrollment in the district’s traditional in-school learning programs jumped from 24,260 students to 25,401, an increase of 1,141 students in two weeks.
During the same period, enrollment in Lake Live, the district’s virtual learning program that allows students to follow the same schedule as their in-school peers, has dropped from 10,071 to 9,826, a decrease of 245 students in two weeks.
Enrollment in the district’s virtual school has fallen slightly, too. From Sept. 14 to Sept. 21, Lake County Virtual School enrollment dropped from 4,546 students to 4,522, a small decrease of 24 students in one week.
To those students who have returned and the families who are considering it, Superintendent Diane Kornegay says, “Our doors are open, and we welcome you back!”
“We have said from the beginning that from an academic standpoint, face-to-face instruction where children can collaborate and interact with their peers and their teacher is best for most students,” Kornegay said.
Now that school has been in session for nearly five weeks, Kornegay is hoping parents have had an opportunity to review the safety protocols the district is following and the data on its COVID-19 dashboard, which shows fewer than 1% of students testing positive for the virus since school began on Aug. 24.
“For some parents, this information appears to be making a difference,” she said. “If they want to bring their children back to our schools, we are ready to receive them.”
Parents do not have to wait until the end of the first nine weeks to withdraw from virtual learning and enroll in a traditional program, Kornegay said. In fact, it may be to the student’s advantage to make the change sooner rather than later.
“Virtual learning works well for some students, but not for all,” said Emily Weiskopf, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Leadership. “If a student is struggling with virtual learning and has not made much progress, the longer he or she waits to transition back to traditional school the wider the gap in learning becomes.”
The situation can become particularly dire for high school students who could find themselves weeks into a virtual program and unable to earn full credit for the class, she said.
“So, we want to make it as easy as possible for all students to return to our schools and make that transition,” Weiskopf said.
Parents simply need to go to their child’s school website and click the “Enrollment” link under the “Information” tab. Skip the information about documentation for now, and go directly to the “Enrollment form” link on the last page. Enroll online and someone from the school will follow up shortly to complete the enrollment process.
“We will work with parents and students to make the transition as seamless as possible,” Weiskopf said. “We want students back face to face, so if you are considering the option, now is a great time.”
