KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Officials with Knox County Schools met Wednesday evening after Superintendent Bob Thomas announced the first day of school would be pushed back to Aug. 24.
Thomas said that the district is looking for approval on a contract with a virtual school from Florida. He said the school would help staff virtual classrooms, as more students sign up to learn from home, and that the contract will make sure schools can offer as many classes possible.
More than 18,000 students, around a third of Knox County School's student population, chose virtual learning instead of returning to the classroom in-person. The school district also distributed Chromebooks to students to help facilitate online learning.
Officials specified that students would still be enrolled in their home school, even if the contract is approved. Thomas said that the contract will be presented to the board next week for approval.