FAQ
If I choose one option and want to change the choice later in the year, can I make a switch?
Yes. There will be defined opportunities after each grading period where changes can be made to the educational setting. While the district is asking you to make a decision during the summer regarding how your child will start the new school year, please know that we understand that you are having to make this decision based on the current situation with COVID-19 and with potentially changing information. Parents will have until at least two weeks before the first day of school to change their minds about placement.
After the school year begins, a parent who chooses remote instruction for their child and later wants to switch to in-person instruction may do so at the end of a grading period. A parent who chooses in-person instruction for their child and later wants to switch to remote instruction may do so at any time.
Please note that if a student switches between in-person learning and remote learning, then that student may not have the same teacher(s) or course schedule, as teachers may or may not be teaching both a remote and an in-person class.
What if most families choose the traditional option? Would there have to be changes to accommodate social distancing or will there be a limit of how many students can select the traditional option?
How will you address social emotional or mental health concerns?
Will students and staff be required to wear masks?
On July 2, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA 29, relating to the use of face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Governor Abbott’s current guidelines, every person 10 years of age or older is required to wear a face covering while inside a public building whenever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distance from another person not in the same household, with limited exceptions. We currently understand this mandate to include schools. We are continuing to assess how this order is carried out in the school setting, and at this time, we will require all students to wear face masks in certain situations.
We will also comply with any mandates provided by Wilson County regarding face coverings and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In addition, we are exploring other options to secure the purchase of clear face shields for staff and students who want them. We will update this information as soon as it is available.
Will buses run?
Will social distancing be observed on buses, and how will seating arrangements be determined?
How will the District monitor bathrooms, cafeterias, gyms, and other commons areas?
What precautions will be in place for extracurricular activities?
Will students have recess or the ability to play and socialize with other students?
What happens if a student or a teacher tests positive for COVID-19? Will the entire classroom have to quarantine and enroll in virtual school? What if multiple classrooms and students/staff are impacted?
If an individual who has been in a school is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19, the school must close off areas that are heavily used by the individual with the lab-confirmed case (student, teacher, or staff) until the non-porous surfaces in those areas can be disinfected, unless more than three days have already passed since that person was on campus. If conditions necessitate closure of a campus, according to TEA guidelines, the campus may be closed for no longer than five consecutive days, unless the state orders a longer mandatory shutdown.
Consistent with school notification requirements for other communicable diseases, and consistent with legal confidentiality requirements, schools must notify all teachers, staff, and families of all students in a school if a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified among students, teachers or staff who participate on any on campus activities. Any individuals who are either: (a) are lab-confirmed to have COVID-19; or (b) experience the symptoms of COVID-19 must stay at home throughout the infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual to determine if specified re-entry conditions have been met. Students will access instructional content at home during the quarantine period.
Can students who select remote instruction still participate in athletics and extracurricular activities?
Will meals be provided for students who select remote instruction?
Will the remote learning curriculum mirror the in-person curriculum?
How will remote learning this fall differ from remote learning during the closure last spring?
Will my child still receive special services?
What if our families do not have home access to the Internet and/or a device to access remote learning?
When will my family need to make a decision on students attending in-person learning at school or remote learning at home?