WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Palm Beach County School District held a news conference Friday morning and said about a quarter of the students learning remotely are struggling academically.
Superintendent Donald Fennoy shared information that parents need before deciding if they would like their child to be educated through in-person or distance learning for the second semester.
Following the holiday break, classes will resume on Jan. 4. On that date, parents can enter the student portal and decide if they want to switch the method of learning for the remainder of the school year.
"Parents and students in distance learning who are not making adequate academic progress will see a letter from the district informing them their child is at risk, and in-person instruction is recommended," Fennoy said.
"It is essential when we return on Jan. 4 for any parent who is in distance learning to please go into the portal, go to the 'Make Your Choice' tab," said Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Schools Keith Oswald.
He said parents of students struggling in distance learning will receive a letter outlining the consequences of students not making adequate progress.
"These are serious academic consequences ... such as failure to go on to the next grade," Oswald said. "At the elementary level, we have identified approximately 10,000 students who are currently in distance learning that we would like to get back to brick and mortar if a family so chooses."
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Oswald said they identified about 3,800 middle school students in distance learning that are struggling academically and were absent three or more times in three weeks.
He said there were about 8,000 high school students that were struggling with distance learning, which includes two or more F grades.
"Our teachers, as well as our principals, have been working with families to get them back where they feel safe. We put a lot of mitigation strategies in place to ensure that if a parent is worried about this decision that our schools are safe," Oswald said.
Parents will be notified if their children are struggling with remote learning and be asked to return to brick-and-mortar instruction.
"But parents also have the option to say, 'I acknowledge my child is not performing well academically in distance learning. However, as a parent, I am choosing to leave my child in distance learning,'" said Palm Beach County School District Chief Academic Officer Glenda Sheffield.
The school district said they have identified about 3,300 students that they deem as "whereabouts unknown."
"Those particular students we've begun to identify and find ... to either get them back enrolled somewhere in an educational setting if they are not already currently," Oswald said.
The briefing was held at the Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center board room in West Palm Beach.
Gov. Ron DeSantis extended the option for parents to have their children attend school remotely for the remainder of the school year.
The governor's executive order issued last month included encouraging parents of students struggling in distance learning to return for in-person instruction.
DeSantis said Nov. 30 that schools would remain open and in-person instruction will continue despite rising coronavirus cases in Florida.