When are kids in Polk County going back to school? What will it look like? Will there be in-person or online options? Will masks be required? What will safety requirements look like?

Yesterday, the Polk County Public School Board met to discuss these questions, among others. The board has been working since the start of the pandemic to create a plan on reopening schools.

The three instruction model options for returning to school include:

Traditional Campus Learning: Brick and Mortar; PK-12; masks will be required; additional health + safety protocols will be taken
Campus eSchool: 100% e-learning, tied to district school; K-12 quarterly commitment; parents will serve as learning coaches
Polk Virtual School: Full-time, K-12; semester commitment; PCPS teachers will teach online lessons

Families must select a learning format by July 27. You can find a more in-depth outline of these plans here.

Additionally, due to the rise in coronavirus cases, Polk County Public Schools is delaying the start of the 2020 school year until, at least, Aug. 24 (originally school was expected to start on Aug. 10).

Quoteworthy: “We are trending upward with the rise of COVID-19 cases, not only in the state but right here in Polk County. At this time, I do not feel it is safe to physically reopen schools on Aug. 10. We need to delay the opening of school at least until Aug. 24. We will continue to monitor the situation with health officials, and if the spread of the virus remains high, we can further delay the physical reopening of our brick-and-mortar schools if necessary.” – Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd

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