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Returning to school during a pandemic proving difficult for many districts
Briona Arradondo reports
TAMPA, Fla. - As school districts across Florida keep a close eye on coronavirus cases, leaders in many Bay Area districts have pushed back the first day back.
Pinellas County made it official Tuesday, voting to push its start date back to August 24. Last week, Hillsborough County school leaders decided to do the same. Now both districts are figuring out exactly how classes will look.
The Pinellas County superintendent of schools described the new school year as trying running two schools at the same time.
“We would like for them to start with a virtual opening to school. Let COVID, let those numbers die down,” said Dr. Christy Foust, with Pinellas County for a Safe Return to Campus.
RELATED: Pinellas County school leaders vote to delay first day of school to August 24
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About half of parents opt to keep kids home
In several Bay Area counties, about half of the students will stay home and participate in some type of online learning instead of going back to school.
As teachers rallied outside the school board headquarters, Pinellas County superintendent Dr. Michael Grego shared the results of how students chose to learn this year.
About 64% of families who responded chose to have their kids return to the classroom. The rest chose some type of online learning.
RELATED: Polk County unveils plan for school buses in upcoming semester
“We’re altering we’re doing, we’re altering timelines because, all hands on deck at this point. We’ve got to get school ready no matter what the delivery system looks like on the 24th. We’ve got to start school,” Grego said.
Over in Hillsborough County - the school district said about 49% of students will attend face-to-face classes and 42% chose e-learning.
RELATED: About half of parents decide to send kids back to schools in Tampa Bay area
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COVID-19 creates deficit for Hillsborough schools
The Hillsborough County School Board is trying to figure out how to pay for the unprecedented and unexpected expense of opening schools during a pandemic.
School administrators are keeping families in mind that may not have accessibility.
“As it relates to e-learning, it goes back to being able to address the digital divide that exists within our community. Right now, we have close to 71,000 mobile devices that can help our students,” Superintendent Addison Davis said.
As teachers and students prepare to return to classrooms - Tampa Bay’s school districts acknowledge that it won’t be easy.
Pinellas County school leaders say they are working to pair up students who want to learn virtually with a teacher and the superintendent says he wants to make sure they accommodate teachers who asked for remote work due to health conditions.