MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A Monongalia County Schools leader says tweaks to virtual classes are coming in the wake of the first day of classes taking place online.
Deputy Superintendent Donna Talerico said earlier this week parents reported problems with online portals, communication and technology.
“I would ask for everybody to have a little patience with all of this,” she said. “I don’t think anyone has ever encountered this situation before. and again, I think everyone is working as hard as they can to do the right thing.”
The Monongalia County Board of Education, which met Tuesday, is pushing for improved communication with parents. Members said they believe frustration among students and parents will decrease as everyone becomes more familiar with online learning.
In neighboring Preston County, students are participating in face-to-face lessons. During this week, students are reporting to schools on certain days. All students will have lessons in schools starting Sept. 14.
Heidi Gidley, a Preston County High School cheerleader and marching band member, said the differences in the school year because of the coronavirus are apparent.
“It was really weird because we had one-way halls, we had masks, and our classes were really short,” she said. “We had to eat lunch in our homeroom. We couldn’t go to the cafeteria or anything like that.”
Gidley added with the uncertainty of the rest of the school year, she and her classmates are taking advantage of every opportunity.
“We did get to have our Senior Night for football at the first football game,” she said. “They were worried we wouldn’t be able to have another football game, so they just had it at the first game.”
Monongalia County is red on the statewide county alert system map which tracks the rate of coronavirus cases, the only county in the state with such rating. Preston County is green, the lowest rating possible.