Sorry for not posting earlier. I was on vacation when news broke.

From the District’s Website:

School District Five will start 2020-2021 school year with a hybrid option (and virtual option), Sept. 8 start date for students

Lexington-Richland School District Five will start the school year with a hybrid schedule option and all virtual option, district officials announced at a school board meeting on July 23.

A hybrid model is a blend of face-to-face instruction and distance learning with students attending school in-person two days a week and learning virtually for three days. District officials said students will be assigned to one of two cohorts, and parents and guardians with multiple students will have the ability to request that all of their children be placed in the same cohort.

The July 23 announcement of a hybrid model is a change from the district’s earlier plan to offer a five-day in-person option and virtual option for parents. Parents will still have the option of choosing an all virtual model, in addition to the hybrid schedule, for their students.

“We continued to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases in our area and continued to listen to the input of our families,” said Superintendent Dr. Christina Melton. “While we had hoped to start the year with a five-day, traditional offering, the data at this time simply does not support this option. It’s our hope that we can transition to a five-day, in-person model as soon as possible. We all want the same things. We want the numbers of COVID-19 to go down, and want our students and teachers back in the classroom…But we want to do these things safely and with the best interest of our staff and students in mind. We will continue to monitor the numbers and make adjustments as needed.”

During the July 23 meeting, Board of Trustees members also approved revisions to the school year calendar. The first day for students will now be Sept. 8, while the first day for teachers will be August 20.

“We are planning for the hybrid option to be temporary,” Melton said. “We hope we can begin a five-day, traditional option after October 8 (beginning of second interim period), but we will continue to watch the numbers of COVID cases and adjust accordingly.”