ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – As August approaches, parents are trying to figure out what their child will be doing in terms of school.
Parents are wondering if they should send kids to school or keep them at home to participate in virtual learning.
On Tuesday, some districts are taking the next step in reopening with voting on plans for the upcoming school year.
Orange County Public Schools’ board will be voting tomorrow on three options that will then be passed on to parents to select from. The options are face-to-face learning, virtual learning and innovative learning.
“It’s a big week, it’s an important week,” said Scott Howat, Orange County Public Schools chief communications officer.
OCPS said the meeting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and they will also be streaming it online.
Howat said they are expecting a lot of eyes on the meeting.
“The last work session was the most viewed work session or board meeting that we had ever had,” Howat said.
OCPS said the meeting will be streamed online and the public can submit comments by calling in. Information is available on the district’s website.
Kara DiGiorgio is a OCPS high school science teacher who signed a petition to keep schools closed.
“Nobody has been able to tell me practically how it’s going to work,” DiGiorgio said.
She said science class involves hands-on activities.
“If we are indeed following social distancing we are not going to be able to do that,” she said.
Seminole County Public Schools’ board will be conducting two meetings on Tuesday.
They have a work session meeting at 8:30 a.m. and a school board meeting at 5:30 p.m.
SCPS said they will be voting on four options: face-to-face learning, Seminole Connect, Seminole County Virtual School and a hybrid option, which combines all three.
Seminole County Public Schools said both meetings can be viewed online.
SCPS said members of the public can send written comments, but said the comments must be sent in before 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Officials also said video comments can be submitted online.
Seminole school officials said parents will have until July 24 at noon to make their selection.
Parents in Osceola have until July 15 to choose which option their child will be doing.