HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Parents, including those in the Bay area, need to decide how they want their children to attend school next semester.

With Florida issuing an emergency order continuing virtual learning through the end of the school year, school districts are putting new requirements in place to make sure students aren’t falling behind.

The state is now requiring school districts submit plans with specifics on how they’ll handle students who are struggling with E-learning.

Hillsborough County’s Superintendent, Addison Davis, said a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. “We also have kids we're having to address from an attendance perspective, a truancy perspective to be self-motivated, to get on with all their schedules, but they're there because their parents believe that's the best for them to protect themselves and their family members, so we have to respect that."

According to NWEA, a nonprofit that measures the growth and performance of students, black and hispanic students, as well as students in low-income populations, are falling further behind in reading and math since the pandemic.

The study looked at test scores from students in third to eighth grade from about 8,000 different schools across the country.

As part of the state’s emergency order, school districts plans have to include intervention options for students who are struggling with virtual and hybrid learning.

Hillsborough County School officials encourage parents to fill out surveys on how their children will attend school in January to help prepare.

In Pinellas County, the district announced it will transfer a student from virtual learning to in person learning if the student isn’t making adequate progress, and if the parent wants their child to continue with E-learning despite them struggling, they will have to provide something in writing that they want their child to continue with virtual school.