Brevard Public Schools has announced that secondary schools will return to a traditional seven-period schedule next August. However, no decision has yet been made regarding whether the e-learning option will remain in place.

“I think [remote learning] is definitely the physically safer option,” junior Kiera Mayott said. “But it’s a lot more mentally challenging. I think if I were an e-learner I’d feel really out of the loop with what’s going on at school. I’d definitely feel less motivated to stay involved.”

However, Mayott said the option for e-learning should be maintained for those students who feel safer doing so. 

“I think the school could do more events on Zoom or something to help bring together e-learners and in-person students,” she said. “I’m not sure how that might work, but I think the school could put more effort into something along those lines.”

Brevard Public Schools has not provided a deadline on when it will decide whether to continue offering remote-learning. 

“I take a risk coming to school in person,” Mayott said, “but I know I’d be a lot more unhappy at home.”

Junior Nikki Glenn said BPS should continue to offer remote learning, but that it should be improved.

“I don’t think anyone should be forced to do something like that,” she said. “Some people aren’t comfortable with the virus and that’s understandable. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to get that much better by [August].” 

Glenn said she prefers to the traditional form of education.

“I choose to attend because I think my grades would suffer if I didn’t,” she said. “But I think that e-learning does have some challenges. Like, when the classes are shorter I feel like a lot of the class time will be lost to signing on and off and stuff like that. It will probably be harder for the teachers too.” 

Junior Anastacia Devlin said remote learning is a good option for those who aren’t comfortable coming back due to COVID-19.

“It’s always nice to have the option instead of being forced to something,” she said. “For me personally, I don’t learn as well online, so I go in person.”

Devlin knows what it’s like to attend classes virtually because she had to quarantine while she took the finals for her first-semester classes. 

“It was nice because it felt like my Winter Break was longer,” she said. “But I had trouble focusing in class. Plus my computer crashed on the day of one of my midterms. Luckily, I made it up.”