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Orange County Public Schools won’t offer LaunchED option next school year

OCPS joins surrounding counties ending hybrid learning for 2021-2022

Orange County Public Schools asking for laptop donations

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools will stop offering the hybrid learning option created during the coronavirus pandemic for the upcoming school year.

In an email to OCPS families Tuesday, the district said that LaunchED@Home will not be an educational option for the 2021-2022 school year. Students may either learn in person or via Orange County Virtual School. LaunchED allowed students to take their regularly scheduled classes online while following their school’s daily schedule whereas virtual school does not follow a normal school bell schedule.

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Superintendent Barbara Jenkins planned to announce the decision at Tuesday evening’s school board meeting.

OCPS and other school districts had been waiting on the Florida Department of Education to determine if districts could continue to offer hybrid learning options but according to OCPS, the DoE has yet to issue guidance.

“It is apparent that any further delay of a decision would be a hardship on our students, their families, and our schools who need to be able to plan now for next year,” the email to OCPS families read.

Orange County becomes the latest Central Florida school district to do away with the hybrid learning option. Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake and Volusia will also no longer offer the third learning option next school year.

Enrollment in Florida Virtual School opened May 3 for the 2021-2022 school year.


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