Texas Education Agency permits schools initial four-week limit to on-campus instruction due to COVID-19

Updates to guidance on reopening Texas schools in light of COVID-19 will allow the institutions flexibility.

The Texas Education Agency’s updated guidance for reopening schools for the 2020-21 year allows school systems to temporarily limit on-campus education for the initial four weeks of the academic year, according to a press release from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

“After the first four weeks, a school system can continue to limit access to on-campus instruction for an additional four weeks, if needed, with a board-approved waiver request to TEA,” TEA said in the press release. “Any student requiring on-campus instruction during this period—i.e. those who need reliable access to technology—will still be entitled to on-campus instruction every day during this transition period.”

Schools also can delay the school year and high schools can be converted to a full-time hybrid model when students return to on-campus instruction, according to TEA.

“We live in unnerving times. COVID has been a major disruption in all of our lives both personally and professionally,” Mike Morath, commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, said in a video address to parents, staff and teachers. “I’ve talked to so many teachers and parents around the state of Texas, who are itching to see kids back in classrooms, students who want to see their friends and their teachers, teachers who want to get back in classrooms and I’ve also talked to many teachers and parents who are nervous about what this means and how, how can it be done safely.”

A previous announcement on July 7 by the Texas Education Agency prioritized student’s health and safety in education, allowing for the return of students to on-campus education or remote learning.

Previously, the announcement included that students could have daily on-campus learning or remote learning “initially or at any point as the year progresses,” according to TEA.