BENTONVILLE, SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) – As students head back to the classroom after a surge in COVID-19 cases, many are making some changes to how they will learn this semester.
Rick Schaeffer with Springdale schools said this semester around 250 students shifted from virtual learning to in-person instruction. Meanwhile, only about 50 students moved online.
“Parents are feeling safer about things as they’ve seen our Covid numbers not be very high,” he said. “I think a lot of students just miss being back in the classroom and I think every study shows that you’re gonna learn better in the classroom than you are strictly virtually.”
Meanwhile at Bentonville West, Savannah Rangel is choosing to do the opposite.
“A lot of us did go virtual because we saw a bunch of our friends getting quarantined.”
Last semester, Rangel chose the blended learning option, doing school both in-person and online. But, this semester that option was taken away. She said one key reason she chose virtual learning, even though a lot of her friends and teammates didn’t, was to stay safe for their upcoming basketball and track season.
“As athletes our health is our first priority and we wanted to make sure that we could minimize our chance of getting quarantined or getting Corona.”
While Springdale schools started Monday, students in the Bentonville School District are learning remotely Monday and Tuesday and will officially begin the school year Wednesday.
