WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Williamsville School District announced Friday afternoon that students in their middle and high school who elected to participate in the fully-remote learning options will have a delayed start.
In a message posted on their website, it states:
"All students in our hybrid instructional model will begin class on September 8, 2020. Students in grades K-4 who are participating in the fully remote online learning model will also begin classes on time on September 8, 2020. However, due to the number of middle school and high school students who are in the fully remote online learning model, students in grades 5-12 will have a delayed start to the year. Delaying the start of our fully remote online learning model is currently the best path forward."
The district says they had 2,361 students elect to participate in the fully remote online learning and that of those students, 1,375 are at the middle and high school levels.
This high number created more than 80 virtual teacher vacancies in the District. Additionally, the district had 90 staff members take a leave of absence due to COVID-19 and 111 staff members resign.
The district also stated that students in the hybrid or fully remote online learning will not be allowed to transfer instructional models until October 1, 2020. After October 1, 2020, the district will only allow students to transfer one time to a different instructional model.