Board discusses virtual students, approves major project bids

The main discussion among the Bledsoe County Board of Education at their December meeting revolved around the upcoming semester which begins in January and whether to reopen the virtual school program to new students or keep it closed.

The virtual school program is the completely online option that was given to students at the beginning of this school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students enrolled in the virtual school program have been online all year and have not been in school buildings because of the pandemic, and is different from the remote school option which is only temporary when a class, grade, or individual student is in quarantine.

When parents signed up for the program in the fall, there was no guarantee the program would continue into the spring semester. Director of Schools James Ellis said 246 students were enrolled at the beginning of the school year, but nearly half (104 students) have returned to the traditional setting voluntarily.

For more see the December 17 issue of The Bledsonian Banner.