HAZELWOOD, Mo. — Back to school in April? It may sound odd but this school year has been anything but normal. Hazelwood, the largest district in north St. Louis County is giving middle and high school students the option to return to the classroom. Students have been learning from home for more than a year, since March 2020.
The school district is allowing families to choose between a full-time virtual option or a full-time in-person learning. No hybrid plan is available.
The district reports that about 6,375 of its 17,000 students are choosing to return to school this year. That means a majority of students are choosing to continue 100% virtual learning through the rest of the school year.
Officials with the school district said there were a few reasons so many students chose to stay virtual. Some households have family members with health conditions that put them in a higher risk category for serious illness connected to COVID-19. Some families are taking a "wait and see" approach with in-person learning. And other families reported that their children are thriving in virtual school.
Middle and high school students are the last to return to the building. The district started bringing back its younger students in late March and early April.
The district said it's implemented CDC mitigation strategies, including social distancing, masks, sanitizing stations and plexiglass barriers on desks.
Editors Note: On Monday morning, the district updated the number of students choosing to return to classroom to roughly 6,300. Previously the district said it was about 6,200 students.