WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools is joining the growing list of school divisions in and around Hampton Roads that are kicking off the 2020-2021 school year with virtual instruction.
In a letter from Superintendent Dr. Olwen Herron, he informed parents and faculty of the decision to keep kids learning through remote means once school starts.
Before settling on the instruction plan for the fall, school leaders were considering four options to reopen schools, two of which included hybrid plans that blended classroom and remote learning.
The school division decided the first option was the best, where all students will be virtually taught for the first nine weeks of school.
"During the first nine weeks, students will engage in daily online learning, including live instruction and independent assignments and activities. This will be a different experience than the emergency at-home learning last Spring," Herron wrote in the letter. "For example, attendance and participation will be monitored, and assignments will be graded. Course work will include lessons and materials that teachers and curriculum experts spent all summer creating specifically for remote learning."
After that, the division will bring a small number of students into school buildings for academic assessments and evaluations.
Safety measures like physical distancing, deep cleaning and the mandatory use of face coverings will be enforced.
Herron pointed to the high COVID-19 caseloads around Hampton Roads and the health risks associated with the recent rise in cases as the definitive factor that led to the decision.
However, parents can opt-in or opt-out of the Year-Long Virtual Learning program that the school system has set up. The registration process for that starts at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 31.
Find more information about this school district plan here.