VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Uncertainty lingers for what school will look like throughout Virginia this fall.
Labor Day -- and the typical start of school -- is just two months out. The Virginia Beach School Division is getting closer to a back-to-school plan.
On Tuesday, some Virginia Beach students, parents, and teachers rallied at the school board. They wanted to speak with board members and advocated to get everyone back in the classroom.
"When you are trying to be a full-time employee, a full-time mom, and a full-time teacher, it is just not easy for anyone,” said parent Sara Call.
Many parents said virtual learning took a toll on their families.
"My husband had to quit his job to stay home and home school our kids,” said parent Rebecca McGlohn. “I am a health care worker."
Some students said they miss their friends, others want to learn in-person again, instead of online.
"I tried to keep up with my work, but it was really hard,” said a student at the rally. “I didn't really learn anything."
Parents said they understand there are risks as coronavirus cases continue to climb, but they just want the choice.
"It's my choice to send my children back, it's my choice to take that inherent risk,” said parent Jennifer Green. “But, it's also the reverse for other people. It is their choice to say no, to choose a different way, whether it is staff or students.”
School division leaders did roll out three scenarios for the fall:
- Daily, face-to-face instruction
- Alternating days with students in smaller groups, going between in-person and online learning
- Online learning only
Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence said they would offer a remote-only option for parents, with either possible in-person instruction option. He said the board heard from parents both for and against in-person learning during Tuesday’s virtual meeting.
"I do think it is clear parents want some options,” Spence said.
He said teachers are split too, but when it comes to staffing there's more to consider.
"For example, if 95% of our students want to come back and 50 percent of our teachers want a remote-only option, that is not going to work for the school division,” Spence said. “We would have to have teachers here to teach our students.”
Spence said the plan is due to the Virginia Department of Education by mid-August. He hopes to get it to the board at their meeting on July 28.
"It is what we are going to shoot for,” Spence said. “I say that only because just today we heard we had a record number of cases for our city. So, that could change tomorrow. If the health department or the governor came out with a new set of recommendations next week, we might have to adapt to that, might not be able to provide that timeline.”
The school division sent out a fall pre-enrollment questionnaire to parents online with all three back-to-school scenarios. They are asking for responses by July 16.