How will Manatee County go back to school for 2020-21? Here are some more details

The School District of Manatee County has released more details on its three learning options for the 2020-21 school year.

School board members kept several factors in mind: the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a state order that called for all schools to reopen five days a week, the need to have several options for families and the desire to give teachers time for planning. The school board decided last week to begin the school year on Aug. 17, one week later than planned, and to offer three options for classes.

The district released more details about each option over the weekend. Each quarter, families will have the chance to switch between the various options: a full return to in-person classes, the full-time continuation of online learning or a hybrid schedule, which includes a weekly mix of both formats.

“Requests for transition to virtual learning during the quarter will be considered individually by the administrator,” the document continues.

The abrupt closure of schools and the uncertainty created by COVID-19 has likely put a strain on students’ mental health. Every learning option will provide access to social workers, counselors and psychologists, the district reported.

And regardless of their chosen option, all students will receive the same amount of work each week: one to three assignments per subject. All state and district-wide assessments will also be required, according to the update.

Safety measures

Manatee also outlined safety measures for those returning to campus. Full-time students will return five days a week, the traditional school schedule, while hybrid students will learn in-person for two days and online for three days each week. Wednesday will be online for all students on the hybrid schedule, allowing the district to deep clean each campus.

The district expects all students and staff to wear masks or face shields. At their recent meeting, four of five school board members agreed that masks should be used in all district buildings and buses.

Gina Messenger, the board chair, argued against a mask mandate at the July 14 meeting. Messenger said she would rather suggest the use of masks and leave the decision to teachers and families. She said it was equally important to consider social distancing and regular cleaning.

Distancing, face coverings and temperature checks were in the district’s recent update, along with one-way movement in hallways and the use of Plexiglass dividers. All of the safety measures are in line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, the temperature checks would be random for students, and it was unclear if social distancing would be possible with thousands of students returning five days a week. The update said Manatee would control school bus capacities by requiring advance registration, available at www.manateeschools.net/registertoride.

“Final decisions to keep hybrid students scheduled separately from the 5-day On Campus students will be based on enrollment and capacity,” the district said in its weekend announcement.

Online learning

All students will have the option to continue with online learning in the new school year.

“eLearning Manatee is a model designed for families who want to maintain their connection to their enrolled Manatee County school, yet don’t feel comfortable sending their student(s) back to campus in-person this August,” the update states.

District students and teachers made the abrupt transition to Schoology in late March, after COVID-19 forced a statewide shutdown of schools. The first day of online classes was rocky, with new users overloading the system and causing it to crash throughout the day. As time went on, some families equated the online classes to busy work, and parents said they were hamstrung by the need to stay home with their children.

The district outlined improvements in its recent update, noting that students would receive live instruction from a teacher, but the technology gap will likely remain an obstacle for local families. The district also reported that online learning would not be an option for Voluntary Prekindergarten students.

“The School District of Manatee County may issue computers; however, home internet will be necessary for online learning,” the update continues.

Possible changes and important dates

Plans for Manatee County schools have changed several times, and changes are possible — if not likely — before and after the start of school.

The Florida Education Association announced a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s education commissioner, Richard Corcoran, on Monday afternoon. It challenged the order to reopen schools, calling Florida “an international epicenter of the lethal and unforgiving novel coronavirus.”

The lawsuit said Florida had an obligation to provide a safe and secure education, per its constitution, and the teachers union felt there was no way to follow CDC guidelines and safely reopen schools.

“Absent the requested relief, schools across the state will continue their current planning and actions to unsafely reopen face-to-face operations in the next weeks to the injury and detriment of all Florida citizens,” it states.

The school board’s vice chair, Charlie Kennedy, made his own announcement at about the same time. Kennedy said he would make a motion at the board’s July 28 meeting, suggesting a start date of Aug. 17 for teachers and Aug. 31 for students.

In the meantime, families should contact their schools to pick one of the learning options by Thursday, whether it be a traditional schedule, online learning or the hybrid model. Otherwise, students will fall under the default schedule: a full five-day return for students in pre-K through sixth grade, and the hybrid schedule for students in grades seven through 12.

This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 3:42 PM.