As the beginning of schools’ fall term creeps nearer, school officials are nailing down their plans for educating students during the coronavirus pandemic.

Those plans vary across the Birmingham area, and some school leaders emphasize that they still could change, depending on the severity of the outbreak. All schools will offer a virtual learning option. Some schools are only doing virtual learning for the first nine weeks, while other schools also have an option to attend school in person.

Birmingham-Area Schools Nail Down Reopening Plans

• Alabama School of Fine Arts: Will start Aug. 17, will have remote learning for the first eight weeks of school. If it is safe, they will return to in-person after that.  https://www.asfa.k12.al.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=455601&type=d
• Alabaster: Will start Aug. 19 with in-person learning for the first nine-week period, and will offer the option of complete virtual learning. Students may switch between in-person and remote learning at the end of the first nine weeks. https://www.acsboe.org/reopening
• Bessemer City Schools: Will start Sept. 3 with virtual learning for at least the first nine weeks. http://www.bessk12.org/Default.asp?PN=News&L=1&DivisionID=24326&LMID=1204607
• Birmingham City Schools: Will start Sept. 8 and will offer virtual learning only for the first nine-week period. https://www.bhamcityschools.org/cms/lib/AL01001646/Centricity/Domain/4/OpeningofSchoolsGuide.pdf
• Fairfield: Will start Aug. 10 with virtual classes only. School leaders will see if it is safe enough to return to in-person after Labor Day. https://www.fairfieldschoolsystem.com/
• Homewood City Schools: Will start Aug. 19. Parents may decide between traditional and virtual learning. https://www.homewood.k12.al.us/Page/4609
• Hoover City Schools: Will start Aug. 20. Parents may choose between traditional and virtual learning plans.  https://www.hoovercityschools.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=11&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=18345&PageID=1
• Jefferson County Schools: Will start Sep. 1. All students will start the year virtually for at least the first nine weeks. https://www.jefcoed.com/Page/4208
• Leeds: Will start Aug. 20, will have traditional and virtual learning. Virtual students can return to traditional learning if they want at the end of the first nine-week grading period or subsequent nine-week grading periods. This is a working plan and subject to change. https://www.leedsk12.org/
• Midfield City Schools: Will start Aug. 25, first nine weeks virtual https://www.midfield.k12.al.us/domain/108
• Mountain Brook City Schools: Will start Aug. 20, option of traditional learning or virtual learning. https://www.mtnbrook.k12.al.us/
• Shelby County: Will start Aug. 13, half of students will attend two days of school per week Monday-Tuesday while the other half Thursday-Friday. https://www.shelbyed.k12.al.us/doclibrary/Cautious-08-04-2020.pdf
• Tarrant: Will start Aug. 25, will have traditional or remote. https://www.tarrant.k12.al.us/
• Trussville City Schools: Will start Aug. 12 with a staggered start, in which students will be taken in in three groups on Aug. 12, 13 and 14. There is still the option of virtual learning if parents don’t want their children to go to school. https://www.trussvillecityschools.com/domain/883
• Vestavia City Schools: Will start Aug. 20, students will learn in-person or virtual. https://www.vestavia.k12.al.us/Page/4079

More stories on local school openings:

Jefferson County Schools to Go Virtual-Only for First Nine Weeks; Some Student Athletes and Staff Have Tested Positive for COVID

Birmingham Schools Announce Online-Only Learning for First 9 Weeks

This story has been updated as school systems changed planned opening dates, including Birmingham, Bessemer and Mountain Brook.