Wyoming County Board of Education offers virtual learning option

WYOMING COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Wyoming County school officials have discussed providing a virtual learning option for students for the upcoming school year due to the continuing threat of COVID-19.

The Board is hoping to provide a learning option for parents who might not feel safe sending their children back to in-person classes. Over 70 parents have unofficially shown interest in the virtual learning option.

“It’s completely free,” said Director of Student Services and Attendance John Henry. “It’s sponsored by the state department. It will be taught by certified teachers in a setting that is more self-paced in some aspects for some grades and then some live instruction for some younger grades.”

The virtual learning would vary slightly for students of different ages. This is of note because the student must successfully stay on track with the online classes in order to advance in their studies.

“K-4, we want to focus on four courses,” Henry said. “That’ll be their four core classes. 5-8, that’s the traditional middle school in Wyoming County. There are five courses there. Four core, and an elective health requirement that students have to have. At the high school level, 9-12, students have to have a certain amount of credits to be able to graduate. That fits into why we chose six courses there to be considered a full-time student.”

The Board understands that some parents might be worried about how they are going to ensure their children’s safety while also maintaining a satisfactory education track.

“As a parent, you have to make the choice for yourself,” Henry said. “That choice falls on you and what you feel is best for you and your family. We want to be a resource for that. We want to offer an option. If you are in a situation that you don’t feel that it’s safe to send your student back, we want to be a resource for you.”

The Board will mandate that parents commit to at least one semester of virtual learning if they determine that it is the best option for the upcoming semester.

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