<strong>From staff reports</strong>

The Beaufort County School District will resume face-to-face educational instruction five days a week beginning Jan. 4.

The announcement came at Friday’s Board of Education meeting.

“It’s always been our goal to resume five days a week of face-to-face instruction,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez noted the challenges of hybrid instruction. “It’s hard for&nbsp;some&nbsp;students academically and socio-emotionally,” he said.&nbsp; “It’s hard for teachers who are&nbsp;delivering&nbsp;both virtual and in-person instruction, and it’s hard for parents to try and juggle it all.”

The district decided to return to face-to-face instruction after reviewing COVID-19 infection rates in other South Carolina school districts that have resumed face-to-face instruction.&nbsp;

“What we and other districts are finding,” Rodriguez said, “is that most COVID-19 cases among students and staff&nbsp;are from&nbsp;engagement in&nbsp;outside events and activities.”

“While we have&nbsp;many&nbsp;safety precautions in place at schools, I urge our citizens to continue taking the necessary precautions against the COVID-19 virus so we can open our buildings and keep children and educators safe.”

Rodriguez acknowledged the physical distancing challenges of returning to a traditional schedule in some of the district’s more crowded schools. “District and school-based administrators are working to mitigate these challenges.”

Sixty-two percent of Beaufort County School District students currently participate in hybrid instruction, with the remaining 38 percent receiving virtual instruction.

If a family wishes to change their student’s preference from virtual to face-to-face instruction, they will be able to do so for the second semester, which commences Feb. 2.&nbsp;All requests for changes will be handled by schools directly during the window of Nov.&nbsp;16-24, allowing administrators and educators sufficient time to plan accordingly.