Students to be in class 5 days a week

Heading back to the classroom -- 5-days a week.

Tonight -- huntsville city schools announced traditional students in pre-k through 12th grade will do just that beginning on october 26th.

Thanks for joining us tonight -- i'm najahe sherman.

And i'm dan shaffer.

Waay 31's casey albritton is live at the district's central office with why the decision was made.

Casey?

Superintendent christie finley said the district made the decision to expand from the current two or three day a week schedule based on the reduced number of coronavirus cases.

It's a change that one parent told me will be a big help to her children.

"as soon as i saw it flash up on my phone, i was like, "yes!"

I am ready for this!"

Mother of two brandi wilson says she was happy to hear students in huntsville city schools can go back to traditional school five days a week "i have to go to work and i have to leave the kids home alone and then when i come home and i say did you do this and this and i look at their computers, and they didn't do anything."

She says it's been difficult getting her children motivated to do their school work while on the hybrid learning system.

"it takes me five hours and these wonderful teachers that we have can do it in five minutes, so it's been very hard."

She says having days where her children have to use the district's virutal program has had an impact on their mental health.

"they've actually started getting depressed because of lack of social skills."

Superintendent finley says there's a reason the district decided on the week of the 26th.

"i think it was important to see what the impact of fall break could be on our numbers in our district."

Finley says the district is ordering face and desk shields to prepare for the return-- and wilson says she hopes precautions, like wearing masks, are re-emphasized before the five day a week schedule starts.

"there should be some type of continuing education that right now every teacher now going into fifth day should have to take.

It doesn't have to be long.

It just should remind them that they are the examples for the children."

The district says an email will be sent out to families tomorrow going over more information on the five-day- a week plan.

Live in huntsville, casey albritton, waay 31 news.

Thanks casey.

Huntsville city schools is working to keep parents updated with the latest coronavirus information.

You can access the district's coronavirus dash board.

It tells you the number of cases and people in quarantine over the