In preparation for students’ return to school in the fall, Lake County Schools is offering options:
- traditional in-school learning,
- full-time online learning through Lake County Virtual School, and
- modified-day learning, a combination of the two.
The district has launched a new website at lake.k12.fl.us/reopening to explain the differences. Parents are asked to visit the site and by Monday, July 13, indicate on a form which option they prefer. The selection of an option does not lock a parent into a decision, but it gives the district information for planning. A link to the form is available on the website.
The traditional option is a full return to school buildings with teachers delivering instruction in person during the school day. Students will have opportunities to collaborate, communicate and problem solve with each other. This option includes enhanced safety protocols, such as social distancing, increased sanitization, and limited group gatherings. The district is still developing a final list of safety protocols, determining what is feasible and gathering additional information. The safety protocols on the website and in the instructional continuity plan are a draft. More information about the safety protocols that will be in effect when school resumes will be provided in the near future.
The full-time Lake County Virtual School option will give students access to a rigorous, fully accredited K-12 online curriculum with interactive teacher-led lessons for select content.
The modified-day option is a combination of the other two. It offers instruction for English Language Arts and math in a traditional school setting, with other courses (social studies, science and electives) offered through Lake County Virtual School. Students will be assigned either a morning or afternoon session for the traditional instruction. The district will not provide mid-day transportation for students who choose this option.
Lake County Schools has purchased additional Chromebook computers so that every K-12 student can be issued a device. Students will not be asked to share a device with siblings like they did last spring when schools closed across the state because of the COVID-19 coronavirus, leaving students and teachers to quickly pivot to remote “distance learning” for the remainder of the school year. This investment will allow all students access to online curriculum and instruction, regardless of whether they choose the traditional, virtual or modified-day option.
As the nation, state and local community continue to work toward slowing the spread of the virus, the number of diagnosed cases in Florida is rising again.
While nearly 58 percent of parents and students who responded to a district survey earlier this month said they feel comfortable returning to brick-and-mortar school buildings in the fall with safety protocols in place, others have said they have reservations. District leaders are hoping the options offered will help ease some of those concerns.
