Schools will now offer option of Virtual Program

White County schools announced last week that they will be opening on schedule but using a hybrid approach in which students will attend school two days a week while participating in virtual learning the remaining three days.

On. July 17, Kurt Dronebarger, director of White County schools, announced that families will be notified no later than July 22 as to which weekdays their children will be attending school. It was also previously stated that all children in a household will be given the same attendance schedule.

“This plan has been approved by the school board and the health department, and we feel that, currently, it is the best option to provide educational services and still utilize best practices in the interest of public health,” Dronebarger said.

The July 17 announcement also revealed the district would now be offering the opportunity for full-week distance learning for students whose families were not yet ready for them to return to in-person classes.

“This online option (called the White County Virtual Instruction Program or VIP) will be very rigorous, and families must have the technological tools necessary to participate,” Dronebarger cautioned. “The online model will also exclude students from participating in extracurricular activities including athletics.”

To participate in the White County Virtual Instruction Program, students must complete an online application no later than July 29 and with notification of acceptance into the program being made on July 31. The application can be found on the districts website, www.whitecoschools.net.

“Finally, there are many attitudes, beliefs, and opinions out there, but one thing that we can all agree on is the desire to keep our families safe and healthy,” Dronebarger concluded in the weekly announcement. “Let’s continue to work together, White County, to protect and support each other. That is the quickest road to the normalcy that we all seek.”

The district plans to begin school Aug. 7, with registration day scheduled Aug. 5. Registration for all returning students, in grades one through 12, will be done virtually. Only new students need to appear in person, with their guardian, during the registration day. Pre-K and kindergarten students will be contacted by their respective teachers to schedule an appointment for registration.