The Sussex County Vocational Technical School District Board of Education voted to extend the district’s modified remote learning plan into the second marking period, which runs through the end of January.
Under the modified remote learning plan, Sussex Technical High School students learn remotely but teachers have the flexibility to bring them on to campus for voluntary hands-on instruction, demonstrations, or practice.
To date, there have been more than 400 student visits to campus for small-group instruction, clinical labs, driver’s education and the PSAT. Teachers have taught more than 3,200 live remote video lessons across all subjects.
“Continuing this modified remote learning approach gives our students the maximum opportunity to learn while keeping students and staff safe and reducing the spread of COVID,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Kevin Carson.
The district will continue to study and evaluate COVID trends and the effectiveness of instruction during the second marking period in order to make a decision about the third marking period.
“We are still hopeful that trends will improve and we can bring students on to campus in larger numbers in the spring,” Carson said.
Students and staff who are on campus follow all recommended precautions.
Parents have been pushing for in-school instruction throughout the state. Administrators have been working with state public health officials who would like to see a lower coronavirus rate.
Sussex County continues to see a higher rate of Covid-19 cases than the state’s two other counties.
Sussex Tech high school was briefly closed after a couple of staff members tested positive.
