TAMPA, Fla. — While many teachers were relieved in-person classes will be delayed in Hillsborough County, some are having a hard time with the decision. It’s not because they're careless about COVID-19, but rather a lack of resources has them concerned.
"There's kids at home that don't have the ideal situation,” said Jordan DeJesus, who has a student at Woodbridge Elementary.
DeJesus said he was pleased with the school board’s decision to delay the start of in-person classes, but realizes staying home might not work for all students.
"I truthfully don't plan on having my daughter back in school after the four weeks...I would hope at the very least that they keep that option available to parents, because my kid, being the chronic asthmatic that she is, I just don't want to risk it,” he said.
Earlishia Oates sees both sides of the frustration as a parent and as someone who works with at-risk families. She said some families she works with have parents who are essential workers and they can't be with their kids during the day. Others might struggle to make ends meet. For perspective, 160 of the district's 250 schools are Title I—meaning more than 60 percent of the schools have a large percentage of students from low-income backgrounds.
"Some parents rely on school for lunch. You know, somewhere safe for their kids to be while they work...this is taking families out of their norm,” she said.
Oates said it’s also frustrating for families who have language barriers and for those who don’t have reliable internet access or childcare.
"It's hard for someone who doesn't speak English as a first language to adapt working only from a laptop at home,” she said.
When it comes to technology, Oates said devices and internet access are two critical resources some families still don't have.
"A lot of my kids are not going to be logging on, so those four weeks are going to be a high demand of kids not logging in, not getting any type of curriculum, so they're going to get farther behind,” she said.
The district previously said it has distributed paper packets to students who are still without internet, but some worry that doesn't do enough to close the digital divide.
Many local districts have partnered with Charter Communications/Spectrum to give families free or low-cost internet. However, there’s a catch that could hurt some low-income families. The fine print says households with an outstanding balance within the last year are not eligible.
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