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Palm Beach County schools scheduled to open Aug. 10

Virtual town hall meetings help school district decide fall fate
Posted at 11:21 PM, Jun 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-23 08:40:57-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The School District of Palm Beach County has some serious decisions to make when it comes to holding school this fall.

So the district is contacting parents and guardians alike in multiple virtual town hall meetings for input.

Monday's meeting was set up for Lake Park, Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach and Jupiter.

Camille Long, the north regional superintendent, said there are three options the district is considering. One choice involves students in school full-time.

"So that means back to in person teaching but prepared to go virtual if needed," she said.

The second option is a "blended model," she said.

"Our blended model would be some days in person and some days virtual," she said.

The final option is distance learning with Google Classroom.

Parents and guardians were invited to submit questions prior to the meeting. One question centered around using current health data to make decisions.

RELATED: Superintendent: Distance learning not going away in fall

"The superintendent created a health advisory committee and that committee is comprised of local and state professionals, medical and health professionals that provide feedback and best practices related to CDC guidelines to the superintendent, as well as the district," Long said. "Their expertise guides our decision-making."

Another question was when would schools open.

"At this time school is slated to open Aug. 10, but, again, we are using feedback from the surveys and virtual town halls to provide input on the opening of schools," Long said.

The district said schools and buses have disinfected. But are parents ready for their kids to head back to school? It depends on who you ask.

"No, because I don't feel it's safe enough yet," Candace Paige said.

Another parent said, "Yes, I just feel the education from learning at home is lacking."

If anyone missed Monday's town hall, don't worry. The meetings will take place every day through Thursday. A detailed reopening plan is expected next month.