CABELL COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — Even though it is the middle of summer, educators are already planning ahead for the fall and what classes will look like.

One school district is taking what they’ve learned from the pandemic and giving students another way to learn.

“Even before the pandemic hit, Cabell County Schools was making plans for a virtual program for families, because we know that in the 21st century, families need flexibility,” says Ryan Saxe, Ed.D., superintendent of schools for Cabell County Schools.

With that in mind, the district is offering a new option for kids to learn by: it’s called the Cabell Virtual Learning Academy.

“This year, Cabell County is offering a virtual option to students, and it’s gonna be housed within, almost like it’s own school but we’re not a school we’re kind of just like a separate entity,” says Jesse Robinson, 5th grade teacher at the Cabell Virtual Learning Academy.

Even though school will be through a computer screen, it will run pretty much the same as regular school.

“It’ll just be like a normal day for the kids. They’ll get on for their morning meeting, then they’ll get on for math, then they’ll get on for small groups. All of us will do our own schedule, but from 8:30 to 3:00, it’ll be a normal school day,” Robinson says.

It won’t mean that kids are all virtual, all the time, however.

“As long as they live within that district, they can still participate in athletics and after-school activities as well,” says Justin Boggs, executive director of middle schools for Cabell County Schools.

Officials from the school district said students enrolled in the virtual learning academy will be given all the tools they need to complete their learning.

“They’re provided the devices for at-home learning but then they also have access to a counselor, if they need special education services, so this is really the best of both worlds,” Saxe says.

“It was a really great option for those families who weren’t ready to come back to in-person school, because of COVID, and now it’s a really great option for those who have you know, social anxiety, medical issues, families that have to travel—they can take their iPad with them and as long as they’re on WiFi they can do school,” Robinson says.

Enrollment is open for the Cabell Virtual Learning Academy, and for more information visit Cabell County Schools’ website here.