NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Public Schools division is following in the steps of Richmond and starting the school year virtually.
The school board voted six to one in favor of a virtual year. Board member Rodney Jordan was the lone no vote.
There were four options:
- Option 1 divides students into two groups that would attend school two days a week and three days virtually.
- Option 2 is similar, but clusters elementary students into two groups that alternate going to school in the morning and the afternoon.
- Option 3 is a traditional in-classroom plan.
- Option 4 is 100 percent online.
The board voted to start virtually for the first quarter, which is the first nine weeks of the school year.
Jordan asked the administration to also make a plan to prepare a limited instruction option available to equity and opportunity students in September, but other board members didn't want to provide that instruction to a few and not all.
The superintendent said planning continues on both sides, even though they are starting the school year virtually.
"We are going to continue planning no matter what," said Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong. "That is what we do. We are going to be planning today. We are going to be planning tomorrow. We are going to be planning throughout the year. We are going to be very intentional about planning."
The school division's administration said they will reevaluate the virtual plan after the first quarter of school.