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No more at-home learning in Pasco County
Catherine Hawley reports
LAND O' LAKES, Fla. - The Pasco County School District does not plan to offer remote local learning as an option for students next year.
In a YouTube video posted Tuesday morning, the superintendent announced that the temporary MySchool Online program, which allowed students to remain enrolled in their neighborhood school while learning online, will no longer be offered.
The news comes after an unprecedented year where schools across the state and country were forced to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, most offering online learning to keep students and staff safe.
But Superintendent Kurt Browning says that's coming to an end for Pasco schools as thousands of Floridians continue to get vaccinated every day.
"The number of students choosing the MySchool Online option has been steadily decreasing, as expected. Also, despite our best efforts, our data shows many students who opted for MySchool Online are not succeeding academically and would benefit from a return to in-person learning," he added in the video.
Browning called for teachers in the district to return to their normal schedules and workplaces starting June 1, vaccinated or not.
He added that it was too early to know whether masks would still be required for students and staff in the fall.
Virtual learning will remain an option through the Pasco eSchool program and the Florida Virtual School.