Birmingham City Schools to start 2020-2021 school year with virtual learning + other updates
ByPatience Itson
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As summer draws to a close, parents and students around Birmingham have one question: will public schools be reopening for the 2020-2021 school year? Here’s what we know so far.
Birmingham City Schools
First Day of School: Friday, August 24
Leaders of Birmingham City Schools have officially announced they will be starting the 2020-2021 school year with virtual instruction only.
The school district will:
- Provide teachers with training on virtual instruction.
- Provide parents with digital learning forums to help navigate at-home learning.
Other School Districts Opting for Virtual Learning
Along with Birmingham City Schools, many other school districts around the state are opting for virtual learning for the first nine weeks of the Fall 2020 semester, including:
- Bessemer City
- Bullock County
- Gadsden City
- Greene County
- Huntsville City
- Macon County
- Madison City
- Madison County
- Midfield City
- Montgomery City
- Montgomery County
- Mobile County
- Russell County
- Selma City
- Sumter County
- Tuscaloosa City
Homewood City Schools
First Day of School: Wednesday, August 19
Learning Options:
- Traditional (full time, in person)
- Virtual
Safety Precautions:
- Students: Required to wear masks when physical distancing is not possible.
- Staff: Required to wear masks when physical distancing is not possible.
- Masks will be provided to students and staff on the first day of school if needed.
Parents will be asked to register for one option by July 24.
Hoover City Schools
First Day of School: Thursday, August 6. Later start date being considered.
Learning Options:
1. Engaged Learning at School and Home
- In-person, full-time school on campus
- Four levels of response depending on public health conditions
- Hoover teachers will use Hoover local curriculum
2. Engaged Learning in the Virtual School
- Full-time virtual school at home
- Continued community connection to zoned school
- Hoover teachers will use state-provided curriculum
Parents will be asked to register for one option by July 17.
Leeds City Schools
First Day of School: Thursday, August 6
Learning Options:
1. Traditional
- Students are served at school through a variety of digital, paper and teacher-led methods.
- Students may participate in extracurricular and after-school activities.
2. Virtual
- Students are served using Schools PLP (PK-5th grade) or Edgenuity (6th-12th grade).
- Students will learn at home using a Chromebook or personal technology device. Chromebooks will be available to students August 3-5.
- Students may return to traditional instruction at any of the three nine-week grading periods.
- Students may participate in extracurricular and after-school activities.
3. Remote Learners
Remote learners are traditional learners who must temporarily leave school due to the need to quarantine. They will:
- Be served via Google Classroom or paper assignments.
- Not permitted to participate in extracurricular or after-school activities.
Parents will be asked to register for one option the week of July 22.
Mountain Brook City Schools
First Day of School: Tuesday, August 11
Learning Options:
1. Traditional
- Students attend classes in a traditional, on-campus setting.
2. Remote
- Students attend classes “remotely” using a variety of virtual and paper resources. Teachers have regular check-in times and can provide virtual instruction.
3. Blended
- Students transition between traditional and remote and back again based on need and preference.
Pelham City Schools
First Day of School: Wednesday, August 19
Pelham City Schools will share their reopening plan with parents and the community by July 16. The plan will include three learning options:
- Traditional
- Remote (Virtual)
- Blended approach combining traditional and remote learning
Parents will be asked to register for one option by July 20.
Trussville City Schools
First Day of School: Wednesday, August 12
Learning Options:
1. Option A: Traditional School
- Backup Plan: 50% blended or temporary remote learning if state requires limited capacity in schools
2. Option B: Husky Online Academy
- Off Campus
- Online Curriculum
3. Option C: Husky Online Academy Plus
- Online Curriculum
- Scheduled In-School Opportunities
Parents will be asked to register for one option by July 17.
Safety Precautions: students and employees are not required to wear masks.
Shelby County Schools
First Day of School: Thursday, August 13
Learning options:
- Traditional/On-Campus
- Remote/At-Home
Safety Precautions:
- Students: masks are not required but encouraged.
- Employees: masks are not required but encouraged.
St. Clair County Schools
First Day of School: Wednesday, August 12
Learning Options:
- Traditional: classroom-based instruction with school-specific modifications
- Full Virtual: fully online instruction with limited face-to-face.
- Hybrid: combination of traditional and online learning for each grading period.
Parents will be asked to register for one option by July 17.
Safety Precautions:
- Students: As of July 11, students are not required, but are strongly encouraged, to wear masks.
- Employees: Required to wear masks any time they cannot maintain a distance of six feet from another person. Required to wear masks in hallways and gathering areas (gym, lunchroom, etc.)
Vestavia Hills City Schools
First Day of School: Thursday, August 13
In a Facebook post, Vestavia Hills City Schools stated that they will release their plans of reopening the schools this week. Stay tuned for updates.
We will continue to update this list as more information is released. If you have more information about public schools reopening around Birmingham, let us know on social @bhamnow.
