Orange County to discuss pushing back start of school year
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - The Orange County School Board meeting on Tuesday will include a proposal to push back the start of the school year.
In an email to FOX 35 News, the proposal is calling for schools to not restart until August 21.
"The Innovative plan option also known as LaunchEd@Home will provide for students to spend part of the week at school and part at home," the email stated.
Teachers will possibly be able to teach through LaunchEd from their classroom or from their home.
Parents of students and teachers are expected to be sent details on Tuesday morning. More information will also be made available on the school district's website.
The Florida Department of Education has mandated that all schools reopen next month.
Governor Ron DeSantis said state schools should reopen as soon as possible.
RELATED: Gov. DeSantis: Students should be in classrooms in the fall, not learning online
"I want our kids to be able to minimize this education gap that I think has developed," DeSantis said. "In spite of good efforts with online learning, it's just not the same, so I worry about that gap."
The governor pointed out social distancing measures put in place by retailers and restaurants that are already open and believes if it is working for them, preventative social distancing measures can also work in schools.
"If you can do Home Depot, if you can do Walmart, if you can do these things, we absolutely can do the schools," DeSantis said.
Tuesday's school board meeting starts at noon. Check back for details.
Watch FOX 35 News for updates.