The Madison County Schools system will start the 2020-2021 school year with virtual learning only. This will be for a period of at least nine weeks. The start date is Aug. 19.

The district originally intended to offer three learning options for the start of the new year, traditional learning, students attending classes virtually through their school or students enrolling in the Madison County Virtual Academy. After the nine-week period of virtual learning, students may have the option to do traditional learning. 

In the virtual option, students do not have to go to school, but they are still be enrolled in that school and learn under its terms. 

The virtual academy is a stand-alone school, grades third through twelfth. The program typically has labs for students and they can do work in person. However, because of coronavirus, instruction will be entirely online this year.

The district says all students are automatically enrolled in remote learning unless they chose the virtual academy. 

You can read the district's full reopening plan below. You can find an update provided by the superintendent on July 22 here.