So, which option did you choose and why?

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It’s almost that time again – the first day of the new school year.

It was supposed to start Aug. 10, but was pushed back by the Osceola County School Board to Aug. 24 due to COVID-19.

Students/parents have three options: Face-to-face instruction; digital learning; or Osceola Virtual School? We wanted to know what you have chosen, so we asked you on our Facebook page. Here were just some of your responses:

• I chose face to face, but my 4th grader doesn’t want to be in a mask all day....my 8th grader wants to go back.

• Homeschooling- that’s what we’ve been doing all along, definitely no need to change it now.

• Nine weeks face to face. If it doesn’t work, then virtual learning.

• Digital.... my daughter can’t handle wearing a mask all day, and due to family health.

• Face-to-face, because both myself and husband work during school hours, and one of us cannot afford to stay home.

• If my kids were still in school, it would be digital. Mask or not would still not feel safe. My husband has a lowimmune system and have to be careful for carriers.

• Osceola Virtual School because PATHS does not provide digital learning.

• We chose digital learning. As anxious as we are to have our children (third, seventh and ninth graders) return to physical school, the cases numbers have grown exponentially here in Osceola. It was deemed unsafe to expose our children according to the government in March when the schools closed and we had so few cases then. It was a very difficult decision to make. I know that my kids need social interaction, but there won’t be much of that with social distancing requirements of face-to-face learning.

• Face-to-face. Kids need interaction—even if it’s less than what they are used to. They need structure and the ability to ask questions in the moment when learning. Working parents need the support of schools for a safe place to learn, grow, and socialize. A lot of places have been open and functioning without significant outbreaks. Our kids will be fine.

• Face-to-face. Our daughter needs the social interaction of her friends, teachers and admin. Her mental/ emotional health has suffered during the shutdown. While I have a huge amount of compassion for the staff, I have to do what is best for my daughter.

• As a teacher, I must return for my students, but that means my own two children don’t have the option for virtual, even though I strongly feel that is safer, so they will return face to face because I can’t be home to monitor and supervise them.

• Digital learning. We have a child with multiple medical issues, so we are choosing health over education.

• Face-to-face. I work during school hours, so staying at home and living in a cardboard box isn’t an option.

• This (COVID-19) will always be around, so face-to-face, they learn better than being in front of a computer.