As school buildings begin getting students back to class, local leaders are raving over the success of their return.

Blue Ridge Schools Superintendent Dr. Hilary Stanifer told Regional Radio News Thursday on the WHOW Morning Show she is pleasantly surprised at how easy the transition has gone.

Blue Ridge students who are learning in-person are at the school building twice a day. Dr. Stanifer explains they are doing a block-schedule titled 'Blue and Silver' days with one group in on Mondays and Thursdays and the other group in on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Around 85-percent of the student body is participating in in-person learning. Dr. Stanifer says this ratio was in line with what she anticipated. The block-schedule structure came about because of spacing issues in their buildings.

Dr. Stanifer has a very positive attitude about the return of school and she says it is a byproduct of the energy from her teachers. She says it will be a community effort to make sure they can keep kids in school.

Blue Ridge students returned to class last week. Dr. Stanifer indicates an isolated positive case of COVID should not lead to a shut down of a school but each circumstance will be handled differently.