ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County School Board is set to finalize which types of learning options they send to the state on Friday.
District 1 board member Angie Gallo said nothing can compare to an education a student receives in person, but the health of students and teachers should be the first priority.
“I’ve heard from many teachers and parents that do not want face to face instruction,” Gallo said. “I want students in class. I just want to be very clear. That’s the best instruction for them, but we have to do so as the governor said, we have to be smart, we have to be safe and we have to do it step-by-step.”
Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino said that he spoke with Superintendent Barbara Jenkins on Wednesday, and told her that the severity of the cases has not decreased in the county.
“Transmission will happen in the schools because the schools are a reflection of the community,” Dr. Pino said.
Gallo said that even if the board approves a start date on Friday, that date can always be changed.
The district is also asking for parents to submit their questions here.
Read about the options the district is considering here.
The start date has yet to be determined, but the school board is floating the idea of moving the school start date to Aug. 21.
The board is considering the following three options:
- Face-to-face learning
- Orange County Virtual School
- Innovate Learning Option
The deadline for parents to pick an option has not been announced at this time. The board will also discuss face covering rules on campus at Friday’s board meeting.