Pasco County students begin online lessons Tuesday
TAMPA, Fla. - After President Trump announced the extension of the CDC social distancing guidelines through the rest of April, the Florida Department of Education said on-campus classes won't resume before May 1. The decision to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
In Pasco County, school starts online Tuesday under the program, eLearning. Officials said they have completed device distribution and provded a YouTube instructional video for parents and children. A tech support line has been set up for parents and students who run into issues.
Pasco County Tech Support:
Email: TechHelp@pasco.k12.fl.us
Phone: 813-794-2859
Officials will be on-deck to answer questions 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Friday. A live chat is available also on the school district's website.
Local school districts are tasked with figuring out how to make up for that lost time. It's not just learning that students could miss out on, but also memorable moments too such as prom and graduation ceremonies.
Most of Tampa Bay returned to school -- online -- including in Hillsborough County. While there were some glitches, the virtual classroom might be the only option for at least the next month. The Hillsborough County School Board is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday. There is no word yet on whether graduation ceremonies will be postponed.
RELATED: Florida public school campuses to remain closed through April
On Monday, students across Florida began attending class online. Online classrooms could be the new norm for the foreseeable future. School districts said they are working to get every kid online and every platform operating smoothly.
With schools closed, events, activities and sports have either been canceled or suspended until further notice.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of the story said Melissa Snively, a Hillsborough County school board member, mentioned the district could decide Wednesday to keep campuses closed through the end of the school year. A school district spokersperson said the Snively misspoke, and that topic is not on Wednesday's agenda for the school board meeting.
If you feel sick:
The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.
LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website
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