TOP ANSWERS FOR LAKE COUNTY VIRTUAL SCHOOL PARENTS

Today was the much-anticipated start of the new school year at Lake County’s public schools.  As brick-and-mortar-schools reopened to students eager to see their peers after a prolonged absence, many of the district’s virtual school students were still awaiting their logins and schedule of courses as classes kicked off today.  Due to the current amount of questions surrounding the start of the program, Mount Dora Buzz compiled quick answers to parents’ common questions below:

When should all students that completed the four-step enrollment process of LVS expect to have their complete schedules available on their FVS dashboard?
Full-time enrollment at Lake County Virtual School has jumped from 145 full-time students to an anticipated 4,000-5,000. As of this morning, LCVS had about 3,000 of those students with schedules in hand. “We are working through the process with the others and will have them set up as quickly as we can,” said Lake County Schools in response to the question.  “Virtual school traditionally opens at a slower pace. Rarely do we have all the students start online on Day One. Lake Virtual is more self-paced than our other instructional options. No one is being marked absent or penalized in any way,”

What is the four-step enrollment process for full-time students?
Students and/or parents need to go to the LCVS website to schedule an orientation.  Next, they need to fill out the online enrollment packet, set-up an account, and lastly, fill out the online course selection form (middle & high school students)

What will happen to students who enrolled after the August 10th deadline?
Parents that started the process late will still be taken care of, but it will be after the enrollment and schedules are processed for the earlier enrollees. ​

What if my child hasn’t received a schedule?  Where can they find it?
Many schedules are still being completed by LCVS staff.  Schedules will be on the student’s dashboard at Florida Virtual School (that is what LCVS uses for their curriculum).  Students will need to login to that website using their username and password.  Be sure to enter the login page for "County Schools."

What should LCVS students and parents be doing now if they’re still awaiting their schedules?
Students and parents can make sure their wifi is properly functioning, as well as that their work space and school supplies are sufficient, said LCVS Principal Donald "Paul" Miller.  For students that have their schedules, they should complete the welcome call with teachers.  Middle and high school students with schedules have the option of doing a Zoom welcome call.  Students should check for announcements on their Florida Virtual School (FLVS) dashboard and in their email inboxes.

Will my child fall behind because he/she doesn’t have a schedule yet?
No.  LCVS is being flexible the first two weeks.  ​

Why does my middle or high school child only have one class on his/her schedule?
The classes are loaded on the dashboard incrementally, so check back for the other classes to appear. ​

How many classes should be on the schedules of high school students?
Three or four.  The district’s high schools are doing a “modified block schedule” this year which means students will take half of their classes this semester and the balance in January. ​

Why has there been a delay in getting schedules?
LCVS went from the smallest school in the Lake County District to the largest, with the same amount of staff.  Also some students didn’t complete all four steps in the enrollment process and LCVS is working hard to rectify that.   ​

How do students that selected LCVS, but were mistakenly enrolled in Lake Live make the correction?
Parents should notify LCVS if a schedule correction needs to be made.

When should Modified Day or part-time LCVS students expect to see their schedules?
Their schedules should be on the Florida Virtual School dashboard by the second or third week of school. ​

Are LCVS students required to use Chromebooks?
No, they can just as easily use a wifi-enabled PC, Mac, tablet, or phone.  If you have another available device, you don’t need to be issued a Chromebook. ​

How do I get my child a school-issued Chromebook?
Chromebooks are assigned by your child’s zoned school.  Fill out the reservation form on the Lake County Schools’ website then call the front office at your student’s zoned brick-and-mortar school for a pick up when available. The District expects all students that need a district-issued Chromebook will have one within the next few weeks. Since April, Lake County Schools has purchased and deployed 15,500 Chromebooks directly to its schools. Over 4,000 were delivered last week. Another 3,000 are expected this week, with more to come.

Why are my calls and emails to LCVS not being returned?
Resources are being utilized to enroll the high volume of new students and create their schedules.  Once that is done in the days ahead, LCVS staff will be easier to reach.  ​

How can parents stay up-to-date about LCVS?
Parents should make sure the school has their correct phone number and email address, so they can receive direct messages from LCVS and the District. They can also follow LCVS on Facebook  and check the LCVS website and the District’s website regularly.

​What's the current breakdown of students that chose LCVS, LakeLive, Traditional Instruction and the Modified Day?  
A recent survey showed 42.1% choosing the Traditional option, 24.5% full-time Lake County Virtual School, 26% Lake Live and 7.4% Modified Day. The District does not have final numbers yet, as parents continue to change their minds about the options even today, on the first day of school.  The District is working with families to accommodate their choices.

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