HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — August seems like a long way off, but the Houston County School District is already making decisions about the fall school year, opening their virtual learning application process this week.
Some parents seem confused about why they have to make a decision so early.
"It has its perks, but it has its negatives as well," Bobby Cumby, a Houston county parent said about virtual learning.
He has two kids in the Houston County School District.
"The younger one is going to want to go to school because she’s about to be a freshman at Veterans, and my son is about to be a senior," he said.
He says they know the ropes of virtual school pretty well.
"Doing it in the past, it was it was fine. Some of the time, I know whether it was internet connection or on one side or the other, it was some kind of lack of grades being graded at the right time," he explained.
But the decision on whether to choose the virtual option for the fall 2022 semester came around a lot faster, and some parents call it a little inconvenient.
"And the fact that when you commit, you’re committed for the entire year, that’s kind of irritating, as far as being a parent goes," said Cumby.
In a statement from the district, they chose to open registration 8 months early for preparation of resources and staffing. For parents who got the notice Tuesday, it explains once you opt your child in, they must stay for the entire year and there will not be another time to enroll beyond the Jan 28 cutoff.
"I think it should be a little closer to the actual school year to see how everything is going in the actual world as far as COVID is going, and if things spike back up, parents could’ve made a decision or they missed the deadline, and now they want to change it come, let’s say April time frame, but they can’t because they missed the deadline," Cumby said.
The deadline for parents is coming soon.
If the district accepts your child for remote learning, they'll give out electronic devices to those who need them. Once your child is enrolled, they may not opt out. The application process opened on Tuesday and will close on Friday, January 28th.