Meanwhile, 13 districts have created new programs to accommodate families who prefer remote learning. Both Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa and the DeKalb County School District in Georgia, for instance, have virtual campuses for high school students and plan to expand them to include middle schoolers in the upcoming school year. Twenty-three of these districts are using virtual academies that existed before the pandemic. RAND’s fall survey of superintendents found 20 percent were interested in offering remote learning after the pandemic, and 7 in 10 educators expect to have a “much wider array” of remote options. Thirty-six percent of districts we reviewed plan to offer remote or hybrid learning next year - evidence of what may be an enduring change among many urban and large districts. This spring’s student attendance and family survey data indicate nearly a third of families prefer remote or hybrid learning, even when given an in-person option.
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Likewise, North Carolina’s Guilford County Schools hosted a “Hello Kindergarten” week, where it aired a series of videos depicting a typical kindergarten day.ĭistricts should also anticipate that some students will not return to in-person schooling next year. Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Texas identified lower enrollment in pre-K and kindergarten as the biggest reason for reduced enrollment this year, and is trying to recruit families for next year through extensive outreach, including in-person visits.