FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Three Franklin County schools will return to virtual learning, just days after returning to the classroom. Starting Friday, Nov. 6, Franklin County High School, Benjamin Franklin Middle School and The Gereau Center will be operative through virtual instruction. All three schools returned to in-person learning on Thursday after a stint of virtual learning. This time, these schools will be virtual until Nov. 30, the Monday after Thanksgiving. It’s important to note that this does not affect students who are part of our self-contained Special Education classes at the high school or middle school.

HENRY COUNTY, Va. – Another school division is going virtual. Starting on Monday, Nov. 9, Henry County Public Schools will be in virtual learning until Jan. 19. The shift is due to the continued increase in community coronavirus cases.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. – Some students in Campbell County couldn’t attend school Monday because of a coronavirus case. On Saturday, the school division learned about a positive case at Tomahawk Elementary School. That school was closed Monday and classes were taught virtually. On Tuesday, the school building will reopen.

AMRHERST, Va. – One person has tested positive for coronavirus in Amherst County High School, according to the school district. Amherst County Public Schools said the high school has implemented contact tracing procedures in collaboration with the health department to determine if in-person classes should continue. Officials said the person did not have direct contact with other members of the community, so school will remain open for in-person instruction. [One person at Amherst County High School tests positive for coronavirus]Anyone who has been potentially exposed was contacted by the health department, according to school officials. This is the second positive COVID-19 case in Amherst County High School.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg City School leaders said they’re ready to bring students back to the classroom even though some teachers disagree. Parents can still choose to keep their children on virtual learning and hybrid students will have the option to return to remote learning. Lynchburg City Schools Deputy Superintendent Amy Pugh said something is missing in education without in-person instruction. The Lynchburg Education Association responded with three major concerns:Safety for Lynchburg City Schools staff and the people they live with. “It’s made it much more difficult than it needed to be," said Lynchburg Education Association President Karl Loos, who teaches at Dunbar Middle School.

ROANOKE, Va. – With kids learning from home many of you aren’t just mom and dad you’re now turning into teachers too. We’re working for you on some easy ways to get help from technology you already have around the house. The first one is through Google search and can help with tough subjects like science and math. “Let’s say there’s a really complex equation. This can be great for a student but also for an adult if you are getting up to speed on these topics yourself,” said Molly VandenBerg, a Google Technology Expert.

ROANOKE, Va. Many families are looking for safe ways for their kids to get time with other kids their age. If your kids are going to school online they may be missing out on some of the social time. PODS are a growing concept where families get together to learn or play keeping the circle small and contained to keep the risk of COVID down. They really are social and thats really been the hardest part not being able to socialize. Many working families cant provide transportation to and from a tutoring pod, even if they could afford to pay for the service.

LYNCHBURG, Va. Lynchburg City Schools most vulnerable students are heading back to the classroom Tuesday. School leaders have plans to bring in about 240 children with special needs to learn in person, this includes 60 to 70 I.E.P students and 170 English learners. Some English-learning students will also return to school, but some parents have opted to keep their children learning online. Special education leaders briefed school board members Tuesday about their safety plans to check temperatures as well as provide lunch and transportation for the students. School officials said its still a work in progress to get other students back in the building.

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia’s First Lady Pamela Northam kicked off her third annual back-to-school tour on Monday in Blacksburg. The goal of the tour is to highlight the importance of school readiness and the need to expand access to quality early learning. Northam also said it’s important to thank educators and caregivers, who she calls the unsung heroes of this health crisis. They provided care, especially for essential workers and families when they needed it the most. The First Lady’s tour across the commonwealth continues Tuesday in Wise County.

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – A Pittsylvania County School staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, according to school leaders. The school division said the employee works in one of its cafeterias but did not release his or her name or where he or she works. Superintendent Mark Jones told 10 News that all appropriate health and safety measures were taken with this case. The school began online learning on August 24 and Jones said the school board will review the county’s coronavirus data and make a decision on when students will return to school in-person.

ROANOKE, Va. Figuring out how to balance working while kids are learning remotely or on a hybrid schedule can be difficult. No matter how your child is learning these are challenging times for all of us. All of this applies to companies with less than 500 employees and there are some exceptions for businesses with less than 50 employees. If youre part of a truly separate entity that has under 500 youre covered. If youre part of just a division and its still your employer has well more than 500 employees then youre not covered, said Leeson.

Rather than two weeks of 100% virtual learning, in-person learning will continue on Aug. 31. “My worry is that they won’t go back, that this is going to kind of be the permenant way of the rest of the school year,” Radford City Parent Charlotte Parks said. Parks hopes people in the city use the schools closing as an example of being more careful. While the rest of this week will be fully virtual, starting Aug. 31, the school division’s hybrid schedule will resume. ORIGINAL STORYStudents in Radford City Public Schools, regardless of grade level, will participate in virtual learning for the next two weeks.

WYTHE COUNTY, Va. The school year in Wythe County will now not begin until after Labor Day. On Thursday, the Wythe County School Board approved a plan moving the first day of school from Aug. 24 back 15 days to Tuesday, Sept. 8. In addition, the school division will begin with 100% virtual learning, which will last through at least Oct. 26, the end of the first quarter. At the regularly scheduled Sept. 10 meeting, the school board will receive an update and determine if any other changes need to be made. The school division plans to release more information about its virtual instruction plan soon.