Majority of Seminole County parents choose virtual options for back-to-school

Seventy-three percent of Seminole County parents made the deadline in letting Seminole County Schools know how they want their children to return to school next month.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - The numbers are in!

Seventy-three percent of Seminole County parents made the deadline in letting Seminole County Schools know how they want their children to return to school next month.

“That helps us. That’s that first domino that needs to fall in order for us to make those schedules. Lots of scheduling work that has to happen. A lot of training of teachers. We’ll have to move teachers around,” said Michael Lawrence, spokesman for Seminole County Public Schools.

Nearly 26 percent of families are choosing Seminole Connect, in which students will be following a regular school schedule from watching their teachers from their computer at home.

Twenty-three percent are going back to school for face-to-face learning.

Nine percent are doing a hybrid of both.

Lawrence says the biggest surprise to district leaders is the number of families choosing virtual schools.

“That’s a high number for us because normally virtual school would have a couple hundred students in that. So obviously because of COVID-19, that’s an attractive model, an option for our families. It allows a little more flexibility with scheduling and students can go more at their own pace than a normal school day schedule,” Lawrence said.

In a normal year, typically the district only needs about 40 teachers to support that model.

This year, the district needs around 500 or more.

“That also helps us out. Internally, it allows teachers that were a little nervous to do face-to-face an opportunity to work remotely and support the Seminole County virtual school option,” Lawrence said.

For the parents that have not selected an option, their children will automatically be enrolled for face-to-face learning.

Seminole County Public Schools will be contacting parents who have not selected an option.

Parents need to let school officials know immediately if they’d prefer another option.