WATCH: Hybrid-model schools in Maryland welcome students back to in-person & virtual class

DENTON, Md. (WJLA) — On the first day of the 2020/2021 school year for many counties in Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan and State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon visited three Caroline County schools along with localsuperintendent Dr. Patricia Saelens.

Together they touredNorth Caroline High School, Lockerman Middle School, and Denton Elementary School.

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Caroline County public schools are welcoming back small groups of students, including those within special populations that require face-to-face instruction, students in need of access to technology, and specified Career and Technology Education program students.

In-person instruction is taking place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

On August 27, Hogan authorized all Maryland counties to start re-opening schools for in-person instruction, and chided school systems that hadn't yet developed reopening plans that included in-person instruction. That includes the state's two largest school systems, Montgomery County and Prince George's County. Both will conduct classes 100% remotely this fall, as will most schools in the D.C. metro area.

The next week, the State Board of Education voted to give school systems nine weeks after the start of the school year to reevaluate their in-person learning plans.

Saelens said Tuesday that making sure all students are in productive learning environments even while at home is "definitely a challenge" for county school leaders.

But Hogan chimed in that students who were not able to get online at home are physically in the school buildings, a benefit of the hybrid model.

Below are some videos from the governor's tour with the superintendents. You can scroll through photos of the tour in the gallery above.