Caving to state, Hillsborough County schools will reopen Aug. 31

The Hillsborough County School district is abandoning its plan to start the first four weeks of the school year online after the state rejected two proposals that would have delayed brick-and-mortar learning.

Now, the district will begin the school year on Aug. 24 as planned using e-learning only, but transition back to brick-and-mortar classes Aug. 31 in order to meet the state’s emergency order requiring schools to provide in-person classes by that date.

“We have been diligently working to come to a compromise with the Florida Department of Education regarding our reopening plans. Unfortunately, FLDOE has rejected two different phased-in models our district proposed that would have delayed our brick and mortar opening while ensuring our most vulnerable student populations were served in a face-to-face capacity,” the district wrote in a message to parents.

“The first week of school while students are eLearning will be called ‘Smart Start Week.’ This will provide a jumpstart for our learners and allow them to build a foundation for success while becoming accustomed to new health and safety procedures. Teachers will record daily attendance and prepare students for new safety protocols when returning to the classroom,” the message continued.

The decision comes after the school board voted 5-2 last week to postpone in-person learning at least four weeks, with plans to revisit the issue in September.

The next day, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran sent the district a letter saying its decision violated his office’s executive order requiring schools to reopen.

Defying the state’s order without obtaining permission from the state could have cost the district as much as $23 million per month in state funding, a revenue loss that could have crippled the district and potentially prompted layoffs or other massive cutbacks.

Under the new plan, parents will still have the option to keep their children in e-learning, but those who opt for in-person learning will have that option as well beginning Aug. 31.

Of the 182,322 students enrolled in the district, 76,112, or 42%, opted for brick-and-mortar schooling, 67,938, or 37%, chose e-learning and 9,746, or 5%, enrolled in Hillsborough County Virtual School. About 28,500, or 16% of the district, still have not responded, as of last week’s vote.

In the message  to parents,  the district wrote, “Please know our learners will be returning to classrooms with enhanced safety protocols. Students will be provided PPE and will practice social distancing. In addition, our district will employ contact tracing through the local health department in the event of any positive COVID-19 cases.

“We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we all work toward the shared goal of providing a high-quality education to every learner in our district.”