County-by-County: What each Central Florida school district is proposing for the upcoming school year

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Florida Department of Education is ordering districts to reopen all brick and mortar schools five days a week and offer full services starting in August.

Several school districts across Central Florida are presenting multiple options for returning to school, including both in-school learning and distance learning. Any district that offers digital options must have their plans approved by Florida Department of Education.

Below is what each county has presented so far.

ORANGE COUNTY

Orange County administrators have presented the school board with three tracks for the upcoming school year. They include:

• OCPSLaunchED@Home: Full-time school that is live-streamed. A camera set up in the classroom would follow the teacher so kids at home would feel like they were there. This idea needs to be approved by the state.
• Orange County Virtual School: This option is also available for parents and guardians who want to keep their kids at home.
• Face-to-Face Instruction: Like usual, students would attend school in person. Orange County officials said they would require masks when social distancing isn’t possible and move desks further apart. They are also looking into adding partitions at desks.

Surveys were sent out to parents regarding these options and only 37 percent of parents and guardians said that they want their kids to return in person. However, this survey was sent out before the recent surge in cases, so residents may poll differently now.

The school board did not reach a vote at Tuesday's meeting. The reopening plan and possible delay of the school start date will be discussed at a meeting on Friday.

RELATED: Orange County Public Schools lays out proposed plan for 2020-2021 school year

SEMINOLE COUNTY

The Seminole County School Board approved four options for returning to school this fall. 

The choices are:

• Face-to-Face: Learning in a classroom for 5-days-a-week traditional schooling.  
• Seminole Connect: At-home learning aligned to the SCPS Instructional Plans/Frameworks and Florida State Standards. 
• Seminole County Virtual School (SCVS): A fully accredited K-12 public school created and supervised by SCPS and taught by SCPS teachers. Students remain at home and work on their own schedules. 
• Hybrid: A combination of Face-to-Face, Seminole Connect, and Seminole County Virtual School courses depending on grade-level. 

The school approved the four options at a meeting on Tuesday. School officials also voted to delay the start of the school year to Aug. 17.

RELATED: Seminole County approves back-to-school plan with start date of Aug. 17

OSCEOLA COUNTY

The Osceola County School District is giving families three choices for going back to school in the fall. They are:

• In-Person Learning: The district says parents and guardians can choose face-to-face learning, but there will be many new procedures in place. That includes everything from temperature screenings to mask requirements on the school bus and places inside the school where social distancing isn’t possible.
• Digital Learning at School: Option two is digital learning at the child’s assigned school, where teachers will have live-lessons for five to six hours a day.
• Osceola Virtual School: Virtual learning via the Osceola Virtual School.

School officials decided Tuesday to delay the start date of the school year to Aug. 24.

RELATED: Osceola County delays school start date to Aug. 24

VOLUSIA COUNTY

Volusia County Schools are still working on a plan for returning to school in August, including appropriate safety measures for students and teachers. 

A full explanation of their plan will be presented to the school board on Wednesday for approval. 

BREVARD COUNTY

Brevard Public Schools presented and approved several options for the reopening of schools in the fall. They include:

• Full-Time In-Person Schooling: Students will learn on campus. Secondary students, in particular, will enroll in four 90 minute classes per semester to decrease exposure, with an additional class for remediation or acceleration. 
• Full-Time Brevard Virtual School: Students will learn from home through the Brevard Virtual School.
• Half In-Person, Half Brevard Virtual School: A mix of the in-person schooling and learning from home through the Brevard Virtual School.
• Full-Time eLearning (elementary students only): Students will undergo nine-week increments of eLearning instruction, which teachers will give from the school site. Students will be expected to complete progress monitoring diagnostics in a secure location three times a year.
• Full or Part-Time Dual Enrollment (secondary students only): Secondary students have the option to enroll in full or part-time dual enrollment courses.

Enhanced safety protocols will be in place, like health screenings. The school district said masks will not be required, but they will be encouraged for students.

RELATED: Brevard County approves school reopening plan, considers delaying start date

FLAGLER COUNTY

Flagler County Public Schools plans to open schools in the fall with traditional bell schedules and school calendars in-person.

Several new safety protocols will be in place to decrease the possible spread of COVID-19. This includes health screenings, strong encouragement of masks, one-way hallway traffic, increased cleaning of high-traffic areas, and frequently available hand sanitizer and handwashing options.

They said that if conditions require campus closure, the school learning plan will change. 

LAKE COUNTY

Lake County Public Schools is giving families three choices for when students return to school in the fall. They are:

• Traditional In-School Learning: This includes a full return to school buildings with teachers delivering instruction in person during the school day. Students will have opportunities to collaborate, communicate and problem solve with each other. There will be enhanced safety protocols in place, such as social distancing, increased sanitization, and limited group gatherings.
• Lake County Virtual School: Students can undergo full-time online learning, with access to a rigorous, fully accredited K-12 online curriculum with interactive teacher-led lessons for select content.
• Modified-Day Learning: A combo of the two other options. Students would take English Language Arts and math in a traditional school setting, with other courses like social studies, science and electives offered through Lake County Virtual School. Students will be assigned either a morning or afternoon session for the traditional instruction. The district will not provide mid-day transportation.

District leaders say that 58 percent of parents and students that responded to a survey last month say they feel comfortable returning to school campuses in the fall with safety protocols in place, but others had some reservations. 

Parents are asked to choose an option by Monday, July 13, and indicate on a form which one they prefer. Lake County Schools says you are not locked into a decision, but it helps leaders with planning. You can find the form HERE.

MARION COUNTY

Marion County School District has presented two options for returning to school:

• Traditional In-Person Learning: Students will return to campus and attend a full school day throughout the week, with standard bell times and schedules.
• Online Learning: Students can attend school remotely, following the standard school schedule and bell times, if they are not comfortable going back in-person.

Enhanced health and safety protocols will reportedly be in place.

ALACHUA COUNTY

Alachua County Public Schools has developed a draft plan for the reopening of schools in the fall. It includes several learning options, including:

• In-Person Instruction: Students will return to campus with enhanced safety protocols in place to prevent significant spread. 
• Digital Academy: Students would receive live instruction at home from their assigned teachers. They will follow their typical school schedule.
• Alachua eSchool: Students would receive virtual instruction form eSchool teachers, allowing for more flexibility in terms of a schedule. 

The district asks that families select the option they want on their website by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 19th. If you do not respond by then, your child will be enrolled in the traditional, brick and mortar school option.

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