In response to confusion and worry regarding the options for the 2021 school year, principal Robert Frasca hosted a WebEx meeting on Wednesday for parents and students to attend. All schools in the area held similar meetings.

The county gave families four different education options—face-to-face traditional learning, Seminole County Virtual School (SCVS), Seminole Connect, or a hybrid—and are expected to make a decision by Friday. 

“There are a lot of choices. Choices are a great thing, but also create a lot of challenges,” Frasca said. 

SCPS had originally hoped to reopen traditionally, but given the recent COVID-19 spike, alternative options were offered for the safety of students and staff. For students opting to go back to in-person learning, masks will be required and social distancing protocols will be enforced, such as student traffic patterns and spread out desks. Of the first 700 to return their surveys, 30% of students chose to return to campus, Frasca said. 

For those not comfortable returning, there are two virtual options available. SCVS is a “learn at your own pace” option, whereas Seminole Connect follows a day-to-day schedule. The hybrid option is a personalized combination of any of these three education methods.

Although a lot of confusion was cleared during the WebEx meeting, many questions remain unanswered, such as how hybrid students will have time to commute between classes and how the master schedule will look. More plans and reopening strategies are expected to be released next week.

“Our opening of school is going to be so not normal,” Frasca said. “There’s going to be bumps in the road.”