More than 7,600 Seminole County students to return to face-to-face instruction after winter break

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County Public Schools is preparing for at least 7,600 students to return to face-to-face instruction when they come back from winter break in January.

The district said that number could change as the district still has to track down the parents of thousands of students who didn’t return a survey indicating their choice.

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Out of the more than 30,000 students who received the survey, the district said it heard back from 22,622 of them.

Of those students, 14,998 replied that they would be staying with one of the online instructional options -- Seminole Connect, Save My Seat Virtual School or the hybrid option.

Another 7,624 students indicated that they will return to the classroom face to face.

READ: Face-to-face or online? Seminole County parents have until Monday night to return school survey

Communications officer Michael Lawrence said the district will use those numbers to determine bussing needs, student schedules as well as the number of teachers needed to return to the classroom.

The health department said COVID-19 cases in Seminole County schools are low but continue to rise in the county.