WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Wednesday, Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools released four possible options for picking school back up in the fall semester.
There are options for virtual year-long learning, virtual part-time learning, blended classroom access and on-site schooling.
The plans look different for students of different age levels, but in all cases, there is an option for families to choose a virtual learning path for their child for the entirety of the 2020-2021 school year.
Path 1
Under this path, students at all grade levels would have virtual schooling, with no in-person instruction.
Elementary school students would not have more than 3.5 hours of online instruction per day, and some younger students would have fewer hours of instruction.
Teachers in middle and high school would be expected to provide instruction four days per week, offer small group instruction, and reach out to students individually every week.
Fridays would be reserved for full class video instructions, student remediation, teacher planning, instructional follow-up activities and student/teacher emotional support.
Path 2
Path two incorporates some on-site instruction with virtual teaching for the youngest students in the district.
Under this path, preschool students through third grade students would spend two days at school, and have three days of virtual learning.
Fourth graders through high school students would still stick with virtual learning.
If students have disabilities, under Path 2, they are eligible for some in-person instruction, if their teachers deem it necessary.
Path 3
Under this instructional phase, all students in the district would have two days of in-person learning, and three days of virtual instruction.
Teachers would be expected to teach from their classrooms four days a week.
Middle and high school students would be split into two groups, based on last name, and would attend school on different days.
The Blue group, with last names that start with A-L, would go to school facilities on Monday and Tuesday. The Green group, with last names that start with M-Z, would go to school on Wednesday and Thursday.
Fridays would stay reserved for extra instructional, remediation, support and planning activities.
Path 4
Path 4 allows school "as usual," with normal bell schedules and attendance plans.
On its website, the school district wrote that schools could switch plans "at any time" during the instructional year to better respond to coronavirus trends in the area.
"We acknowledge the diverse opinions regarding how schools should operate in the new school year and the need for families to have time to plan. An announcement as to which path will be used when school starts in September will be made no later than August 5," wrote a spokesperson.
"To the greatest extent possible, preventative measures such as social distancing, rigorous cleaning protocols, and the use of face coverings will be in place to mitigate the potential spread of illness," the website also said.