HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) is considering various options for students to safely return to school in the 2020-2021 school year.
"There's no doubt that we're excited about welcoming our students and staff back to school in the fall, but we agree with the governor that it will look very different," HCPS spokesperson Andy Jenks told CBS 6.
The county is considering five variations of what the new learning environment will look like including "hybrid learning," which involves one portion of the student body on campus, while another portion would learn remotely in order to maintain physical distancing requirements.
"We're just beginning to review the state's guidance, so it's too early for us to paint the full picture, but we know already that this summer and fall will be about reimagining the school experience," Jenks said.
The fall options for 2020-21 school year:
- Option A: On-campus learning. All students would be back on campus, with new, possibly unprecedented, safety measures in place.
- Option B: Remote learning that is structured and enhanced. All students would participate in required daily remote learning that includes graded schoolwork. While HCPS’ March closure necessitated emergency distance-learning measures, this option would more closely resemble the traditional expectations of a typical school day.
- Option C: Interrupted on-campus learning. All students would be back on campus for several weeks or months at a time, which could be interrupted by periods of structured remote learning in response to health concerns that may arise.
- Option D: Hybrid learning. One portion of the student body would attend classes on campus for a period of time, while another portion would learn remotely. The two groups might switch after a number of months, or alternate days on campus to build a blended learning environment. Having fewer students on campus would make it easier to implement distancing guidelines.
- Option E: Parallel learning. Part of the student body would attend all classes on campus while another group would learn remotely for the entire school year because of choice or necessity. This option would not require students to alternate days unless a student needed to shift from one track to the other.
The school division will make additional announcements as plans continue to be developed in accordance with health and safety guidelines.
