SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County hasn’t officially released potential school reopening options yet, but through bargaining sessions with the teacher’s union, teachers were able to get a good idea of how Seminole County Public Schools may reopen next month.

Lake Howell High School English teacher Bobby Agagnina is also the Vice President of the Seminole Education Association. He says personally he can’t wait to get back in the classroom with his students.

“I’ll be honest, I love teaching! That’s why I’ve been a teacher for over 10 years. I want to be on campus, but is it the most responsible and safest experience for myself, my family, and my students?” Agagnina said.

As a union leader he helps represent many of Seminole County’s teachers who he says don’t want to go back yet amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“They’re not frustrated, they’re not angry, they’re scared and afraid, just not for themselves but of course their families and their students,” he said.

He says they’ve heard possible scenarios for Seminole’s reopening during their bargaining sessions.

The options the union and district have discussed so far include:

  • Traditional, in person learning, which has been mandated by the state to be one of the options parents can choose
  • Seminole County Virtual School.
  • A hybrid of face-to-face and virtual classes
  • A remote learning model where students would stay home to learn virtually.

But Agagnina says the district’s version of this remote learning would still require teachers to come to school.

“And teach in an empty classroom, no students, virtually, where probably better for their safety and their health if they were home,” he said.

We reached out to Seminole County Public Schools to see which, if not all, of these options they’re considering putting into their reopening plan.

They told Spectrum News 13 they wouldn’t be confirming or releasing any information about their reopening plan until the school board’s work session and vote to finalize it next Tuesday.

Other school boards have already had work sessions where we’ve seen their potential reopening plans discussed.

Much like Orange County did last Tuesday, Agagnina says they’re planning a car protest at the school board’s office before that meeting.

“… we’re out there, fighting for our students, and fighting for our educators, to trust the science and trust the medical professionals, and the best option would not be for us to return to a brick and mortar school,” he said.

On Tuesday, July 14, the school board’s work session will begin at 8:30 a.m. where they will discuss and finalize the reopening plan.

Then their board meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. where they vote on the final plan.

You can find out how to participate and view those meetings on Seminole County Public Schools’ website.

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