Texas school district will be allowed to hold in-person summer school starting on July 1, but social distancing and safety precautions must be enforced. | Pixabay
School districts in Texas will be allowed to hold in-person summer classes under COVID-19 safety measures beginning June 1.
“There are cities and countries around the world where schools have reopened and social distancing practices are being maintained successfully,” the Texas Education Agency said in a statement. “Our educators here in Texas have accomplished amazing things in the last two months and it’s clear that with appropriate planning, the safety of our students, teachers and staff can be maintained.”
Some school safety measures are checking the temperatures of students at the start of each day, requiring students to use hand sanitizer prior to entering buildings, limiting the capacity of classrooms to no more than 11 people, spacing desks at least six feet apart, ensuring students wash their hands at least twice a day and having employees and students wear face masks, according to the Houston Chronicle. Summer classes must be optional and schools have to be prepared to close classrooms or the entire campus for two weeks if a student or staff member tests positive for the coronavirus.
Texas’ largest school district is planning to hold the majority of summer school online but is considering the possibility of offering some in-person classes on campus.
“We would prefer to provide face-to-face instruction to our students, but only if we’re absolutely confident that it can be done safely,” Houston Independent School District (ISD) Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan told the Houston Chronicle.
Aldine ISD, which is the fifth largest district in the Houston area, plans to gear in-person summer classes toward certain students such as those who have fell behind academically. However, the district will not begin classes on campus until July.
“We’re still talking through what July looks like,” Aldine ISD Communications Director Sheleah Reed told the Houston Chronicle. “It’s a hard reset. You’re essentially rebuilding the way the school building looks.”
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, there have been more than 54,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state and at least 1,500 deaths related to the virus.
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