Volusia schools poised to continue remote learning

Remote learning will still be an option in Volusia County next semester, the district announced on Thursday, pending a new emergency order from the state allowing the extension of the pandemic-era learning option.

The district said it's "prepared to continue offering Volusia Live as a virtual option for families" the day after Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said remote learning, and "full parental choice," would continue.

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“From the top down in this state, that will absolutely happen. There is no flexibility for anything but that,” Corcoran told the State Board of Education.

Florida school districts have waited in limbo for weeks to find out whether the learning option that allows students to tune into classes from home if they're concerned about attending in person during the coronavirus pandemic would be allowed to continue.

An emergency order from the summer only gave districts the green light to offer remote education but still get full funding for those students through the first semester.

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Until now, the state has been quiet on whether it would grant an extension of that allowance -- so quiet that Volusia officials were expecting to have to end the remote option in the next semester. A big cause of concern for districts has been the idea that the state may change its plan and fund remote students as virtual students, which means a significant per-student financial loss.

The district has been urging students to return to in-person classes if they can, also in part because district leaders believe remote learning has not been successful. By the middle of the first quarter of the school year, two-thirds of remote secondary students were failing a class. However, similar numbers of in-person students were also failing.

Now, as a result of that push, 75% of Volusia's students are learning in person, 15% remote and 10% through virtual school. Thousands of students have returned to brick-and-mortar schools since the beginning of the year.

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The district is waiting for formal approval of the remote learning option, and is hopeful the new order will preserve funding levels.

"VCS works with every family to determine which option is best for their student," the Thursday release from the district said.

The second semester starts on Jan. 26, 2021.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia schools poised to continue remote learning

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