WICOMICO COUNTY, Md.- Parents in Wicomico County say a virtual start to the school year has them overwhelmed, while others say its the best decision for the health and safety of everyone.
Jay Raab, a father of three, says his kids do not learn enough at home and that classrooms need to be back open.
"Their mother and I both work full-time; there's no option for daycare to drop them off at 6:30 in the morning, there's no family member that can help," Raab said. "The reality is my 13-year-old is basically doing his work and helping his little brother and sister."
Jenna Habermeyer, who has four children in the district, says remote learning works for her family.
"I really support the schools going back virtually," she said. "I love the public schools. It is a little chaotic right now; all kids are on different schedules."
Wicomico County Public Schools officials say the decision to begin the school year virtually is about the safety of students faculty and staff.
"Right now the best plan of action is to go back virtually. Yes we know a lot of parents that need to be out of work but right now its not safe to send all those students back into a classroom," said WCPS spokesman Paul Butler.
Another issue for families starting the school year was receiving laptops and internet on time.
"We got a hotspot just a couple of days before classes began," Habermeyer said. "It all felt really rushed. I feel like they had a long time to plan for this but it's new for all of us and we're all really trying."
The district says it is working to solve this issue and students with any missing equipment will not get penalized.
"We still are waiting on about 1,000 laptops from our vendor to arrive," Butler says. "As far as wifi hotspots go we have more of those coming and as soon as they arrive, we'll be distributing those when they arrive,"
Raab wrote two emails to school leaders. He says families who feel safe to go back should have that option.
The school district says that a hybrid learning experience is in the works.
"Hybrid is something that we're looking at. We're not promising that we'll be able to do it but we are certain that we will love to do it sometime this semester," says Butler.
Students who still have not received laptops or a wifi hotpot should contact the schools they attend.
