Houston area school districts discuss fall return strategies amid COVID-19 outbreak
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- With all of the constant changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ABC13 reached out to 15 school districts in the Houston area to see what the administration has planned for students when they return to school in the fall.
Fort Bend ISD
Superintendent Charles Dupre said there were three options the district was considering for this upcoming school year. The options include: traditional classroom instructions, virtual instruction or a hybrid of both online and traditional classes.
SEE MORE: Fort Bend ISD focusing on what school will look like in fall
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and Alief ISD
Both districts are also exploring Fort Bend ISD's three options and are trying to determine how to best practice social distancing in a classroom setting.
HISD
"HISD continues to explore all options as it relates to the 2020-21 school year. The district will be prepared to continue educating all students virtually through distance learning, if necessary. Additionally, if COVID-19 conditions allow and guidance from local, state, and federal health officials is provided, the district will be prepared to welcome students back to campuses or operate in a hybrid model, with both distance and in-person learning occurring simultaneously," officials said in a statement.
While there's nearly three more months until students can head back to school, ABC13 was told no final decision has been made and the school districts are waiting for guidance from Gov. Greg Abbott and health officials.
On Tuesday, the Texas Education Agency recommending school districts to consider extending the academic school year of 2020-2021 by either moving to a year-long model, adding 30 days to a traditional calendar, or spreading the school year out with intermittent breaks.
RELATED: Texas Education Agency wants school districts to extend 2020-2021 school year
A spokesperson with Fort Bend ISD said the district is not considering moving to a year-long model, but is exploring what the school calendar year will look like.
The TEA also released an assessment tool for parents to see how much their student learned this year, which will also help determine how much instruction was lost while schools were shut down during the pandemic.
