BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Parents will have big decisions to make when it comes to the 2020-2021 school year. Berkeley County School District (BCSD) voted Tuesday to allow students to return to in-person classes, if parents so choose.

If parents are not comfortable with in-person learning, e-learning will be available as well, but BCSD says e-learning could never be a perfect substitute for the classroom experience:

“The delivered instruction can not replace the quality of in person instruction.”

BCSD

For this reason BCSD will be allowing students the chance to get back to campus, if they have their parents’ blessing:

“We want our families to know that we are here to work with them.”

BCSD

Families will have the final say on whether their children return, move forward with more e-learning, or even use a hybrid model:

“So the considerations, are really that face to face instruction is completely voluntary to those students whose family chooses to send their students to school. A robust, virtual, blended learning option will be available for all those who choose not to return to the traditional school setting.”

BCSD

Other things discussed at the meeting include revising the academic calendar, adding more school days.

BCSD says parents should expect emails in the next few days with more information on all of these decisions.