BALTIMORE (WBFF) - Classes begin next week for public school students in the Baltimore area, and each one will be distance learning. Despite Governor Larry Hogan’s announcement that schools can reopen to students, school buildings will remain closed, at least for now.

Since March, Project Baltimore has been following the school shutdown and the transition to distance learning - the struggles and successes.

“We do not make this decision lightly,” said Maryland State Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon in March, when she announced that schools would shut down, forcing nearly one million students to transition to online learning. The decision was unprecedented.

“With the challenges facing our state and our country, we have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of our school communities,” Salmon said.

School systems were suddenly forced to find a way to educate students. Weeks after the shutdown, Project Baltimore spoke to parents, like Robbie Blankenship who said Baltimore County Schools was failing at distance learning.

“We do feel lost and frustrated at what we can do about it,” Blankenship told Project Baltimore.

He said, the first two weeks of work for his daughter were voluntary. When mandatory work packets were mailed out, they were three weeks late and incomplete. For two months, his daughter only received one hour a week of instruction from her teacher and no grades.

“I think overall how they handled the shutdown has not been well,” said Blankenship. “Not been professional, not kept the parents and the students in the loop on what's going on.”

Project Baltimore also spoke with Shanika Moore, a mother who was happy with distance learning. Her son attends Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, a charter school in East Baltimore. She says, when the shutdown began, they were ready.

“It's a full school day, so it gives me time to do my work. I work from home as well,” said Moore.

But distance learning has also raised privacy concerns about cameras inside homes. Courtney Lancaster says police were called to search her 11-year-old son’s bedroom after someone spotted his BB Guns during a virtual class.

“I felt violated as a parent, for my child, who's standing there with police officers in his room, just to see the fear on his face,” said Lancaster.

Project Baltimore just obtained the 911 call and the police body camera footage of that incident. Next week, we’ll take you through what’s on that video and explain how it may impact a possible invasion of privacy lawsuit.

"This is outrageous,” said Lancaster. “This is despicable."

The overwhelming response from parents was that distance learning wasn’t working. Many began looking for other options. Private Schools, like St. Joseph in Cockeysville, told Project Baltimore, they have seen a nearly 750 percent increase in applications this summer from parents who want their children back in the classroom.

“I think being home is a challenge. It’s a challenge for students to learn. It’s a challenge developmentally. It’s a challenge for many families,” said Maggie Dates, the principal of St. Joseph School.

The Maryland Homeschool Association has seen a similar trend, telling Fox45, local school systems have reported an increase of 20 percent in homeschool applications. Jillian Amodio of Anne Arundel County, is one of those parents.

“I think with the online learning, it's not great to have him in front of a computer for classwork,” Amodio told Project Baltimore. “It's just not ideal for his age range, he's active and he wants to be up and doing things. He wants to be creative, and at home we can make that happen as needed.”

Project Baltimore also traveled to Pennsylvania. The state line is less than 30 miles north of Baltimore. But families there have options this fall. Students could choose between five days a week in school, all virtual, or a hybrid model.

“For my children, they are better learners when they can be in a classroom situation,” said Jaimie Jackson, who lives in Pennsylvania.

“We lost that this spring. Nobody had a choice. We were all online. I saw my child suffer from that a little bit. Mostly, the social part,” said another Pennsylvania mother, Becky Stevenson.

Baltimore County public school students have no choice, they must learn virtually for at least the start of the first semester. That worries parents like Stephanie Schaefer who say the school system simply cannot meet the educational needs of children like hers, who have special needs.

“I would send my son back to school. I think him getting the learning that he needs outweighs the risk,” said Schaefer.

Then, with just over a week until the new school year begins, another surprise. Governor Larry Hogan announced that schools can re-open.

"The numbers have gotten dramatically better,” Hogan said during the press conference.

Soon after, districts in the Baltimore region said they will start the year virtually, then reassess.

"Finding a way to begin safely returning children to classrooms must be a top priority,” said Hogan.