Volusia students will start on first day of school, not staggered

newsjournalonliine.com | Cassidy Alexander | June 8, 2020

But at this point, no one knows whether students will return in-person to school campuses or if they’ll continue with distance learning.

The Volusia County school district plans to have all students — not a portion of them — start on the first day of school in August.

An announcement the district made late Friday does not explain whether students will return in-person to school campuses, or if they’ll continue with distance learning.

The coronavirus pandemic already muddled start-of-school procedures, as it’s not clear what will be safe or recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention two months from now.

The first day of school in Volusia is scheduled for Aug. 17. Usually, kindergartners start on staggered schedules, and high school freshman start a day early.

“Now more than ever, we want to make sure we provide every opportunity for students to have every minute possible to make up for lost learning from COVID-19,” the statement from the district read.

The statement also explained that this would ensure students can access all 180 days of school as required by state law. But if a staggered schedule is requested, the district will work with schools on a case-by-case basis.

The announcement posted to Facebook on Friday evening drew 200 comments. Some people urged patience and were excited at the prospect of starting school. But many were confused about what the announcement meant, who it applied to and what school will look like in the fall. By Monday morning, no additional details were available.

The district is still waiting on guidance from the Florida Department of Education, which has yet to release any recommendations about how schools can reopen.