Duval schools superintendent presents plan for reopening schools in 2020-21 school year

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene shared some early insights into the district’s plan to reopen schools on Aug. 10 during the Board workshop Tuesday.

The reopening plan gives families what they asked for: Options.

“Our parent data was clear,” Dr. Greene said. “Many parents need schools to be open because of work obligations. However, many parents preferred an online environment due to continuing concerns around the pandemic. We wanted to make sure families have options, and we have accomplished that goal.”

Options are different depending on the student’s grade level. As the year progresses, the district will continue to monitor guidance from the CDC and other health authorities and review the plan every nine-week quarter.

Here is the full plan.

Elementary school students

Families of elementary grade children (K-5) can choose between an in-school full-time option or two stay-at-home full-time options.

For the in-school full-time option, children will go to school as normal, five days a week. The only exception will be the district’s normal “early release” days. On early release days, which occur once a month, students will participate in their partial day through home learning, while school buildings undergo a deep cleaning.

If going back to regular school is not a family’s preference, the district is providing two online learning options for elementary families who prefer to keep their children home full-time.

The first is Duval HomeRoom. This is the same option that all students used when COVID-19 forced remote, home-based learning in March. The enrollment processes for this option will be available to families in mid-July. Students choosing this option can also choose to return to their regular school at the end of each grading period or earlier under extenuating circumstances.

Elementary students can also enroll in the Duval Virtual Instruction Academy (DVIA). DVIA is a fully online school the district has operated for 10 years. Students can choose to enroll in DVIA as their regular, full-time school. Students who choose DVIA withdraw from their regular school and switch their enrollment to DVIA. Information about DVIA and enrollment can be found here.

Sixth grade students

Choices for students in sixth grade are similar to elementary school students with one exception. To accommodate social distancing in middle schools, sixth graders will attend school four days each week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesdays, sixth graders will participate in remote, home-based learning through Duval HomeRoom.

Just like elementary school students, sixth graders have two options for at-home, full-time online learning. Families can choose to enroll their sixth graders in Duval HomeRoom on a full-time basis. The enrollment processes for this option will be available to families in mid-July. Students attending under this option can choose to return to their regular school at the end of each grading period or earlier under extenuating circumstances.

Sixth grade students can also enroll in the Duval Virtual Instruction Academy (DVIA). DVIA is a full online school the district has operated for 10 years. Students can choose to enroll in DVIA as their regular, full-time school. Students who choose DVIA withdraw from their regular school and switch their enrollment over to DVIA. Information about DVIA and enrollment can be found here.

Seventh and eighth grade students

Seventh and eighth grade students will have an option of attending their regular schools on a hybrid basis being at school three days each week. On their two days away from school, seventh and eighth grade students will participate in learning at-home through Duval HomeRoom.

Seventh and eighth grade students who prefer a fully online experience will be able to enroll in the Duval Virtual Instruction Academy. Students who choose DVIA withdraw from their regular school and switch their enrollment over to DVIA. Information about DVIA and enrollment can be found here.

High school students

Students in ninth – 12th grade will attend their regular school two days a week with the remainder of their instruction occurring online through Duval HomeRoom.

Like students at all grade levels, high school students can enroll in Duval Virtual Instruction Academy, a fully online school the district has offered for 10 years. Students can choose to enroll in DVIA as their regular, full-time school. Students who choose DVIA withdraw from their regular school and switch their enrollment over to DVIA. Information about DVIA and enrollment can be found here.

Exceptional education students

Student in low incident ESE programs and Center Schools will participate full time at their 2020-2021 enrolled school. Remote learning and other reasonable accommodations may be determined on a case-by-case basis according to student’s individual needs.

Wearing face masks

Students attending school will not be required to have face coverings during classes. They will be requested to wear face coverings while changing classes or using common areas of the school including bathrooms.

Face coverings will be required for students on school buses where social distancing is not possible. Students with exceptionalities or medical conditions that prevent any type of face covering could wear a face shield or some other accommodation based on the student’s needs.

Should students be required to wear a face mask? Should students be required to wear a face mask?

Social distancing, barriers, and other measures to prevent the spread in schools

The district is working on each of its more than 6,000 classrooms to maximize social distancing and install clear barriers between student stations. Some exceptions will include classrooms for grades pre-k to second. Students in these classes will be provided with plastic face shields, enabling them to move more freely around the classroom.

In addition to social distancing and physical barriers in classes, other important safety measures include temperature checks when entering school, frequent hand washing, and hand sanitizing products in classrooms. Personal protective equipment will be provided to employees.

Back to School website

The district is preparing a comprehensive website to address all the precautions being taken to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and directions regarding processes to pursue alternative options. This information is expected to be available to parents before July 4.

If stakeholder have input or questions, they are encouraged to continue to submit those using the form available here. This not only helps the district understand stakeholders’ thoughts on these topics, but it also helps the district better understand questions it needs to address.

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