BARRIE, ONT. -- The Simcoe County Catholic board will open two unique new schools when the first bell rings to start the new school year.

Both are virtual schools complete with their own principal and supporting staff to help the 4,500 elementary and secondary students who have opted for remote learning.

The students will have a structured day online, with five-hours of learning. Seventy-five per cent of those five hours will be spent in synchronous learning with a teacher in real-time.

Parents who opted for remote learning won't be able to move their child to the classroom until the time is right, which the school board said could be after the first quadmester for secondary students.

"In elementary school, it would also align to the reporting period. So, in that case, it would also be mid-November," explained Catherine McCullough, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) Interim Director of Education.

Meanwhile, 80 per cent of students plan to return to the classroom.

McCullough said there are numerous safety measures inside schools, including plexiglass, floor decals, and outbreak protocols.