With the circumstances around COVID-19, one of the most asked questions is: What will the school year look like in the upcoming year? After the unpredictable turn of events, schools have been scrambling to keep up with the uncharted territory of learning in the pandemic. Teachers and administrators are still unsure of what the future holds, but speculations are that if cases continue to go down, we may have a normal school year next year (with implemented mask regulations). 

Though nothing has been decided and the tides can easily change, staff members are hopeful for normalcy to be restored in the future as soon as possible. 

Huntington Beach High School’s principal, Daniel Morris, says that, as of right now, administrators are hopeful of returning full-time next year. 

“We hope to be back 100 percent, five days a week. At this time, full-time [school] will be the most likely scenario unless things drastically change. If things change, we could see our current hybrid setup continue, but [full-time school] will continue to be our goal moving forward, and that is what we are planning for next year,” said Mr. Morris.

But will there be safety precautions?

Yes! Mr. Morris says that safety precautions will not be going away anytime soon. “I can’t see masking guidelines going away until at least after this calendar year, 2021 and into 2022. We will continue to have PPE supplies in common areas for our students and staff,” Morris stated. 

Will there still be a distance learning option? 

Yes! Tim Floyd, the vice-principal at Huntington Beach High School, says that there will be a distance learning option for those who still do not feel comfortable coming back.

“While there is still planning going on, currently there are plans in place to offer both a traditional five day a week schedule, but also have an online distance option for students in our district,” Mr. Floyd said.

Though the future is still uncertain, the administrators are pushing hard for a sense of normalcy for next year. As of right now, students will return full-time next year with the appropriate guidelines to keep both students, teachers, and other staff members safe.