ORANGE COUNTY, Texas — As Southeast Texas schools continue working to make plans for the upcoming fall semester amid the coronavirus pandemic, one district has decided to allow parents to choose whether their children will attend school in-person or online classes.
Registration for students is expected to begin in mid-July, to allow the district to 'appropriately structure staffing for August.'
With the return of students to the classroom, WOCCISD released a list of safety measures that are being considered right now according to a letter from Superintendent Rickie R. Harris.
"As superintendent and a parent, I have great concerns about the in-person option, but please know we will do what is best for the students of West Orange-Cove CISD," Harris said in the letter.
The safety measures that are under consideration include:
- Weekly health screenings
- Daily temperature checks
- Reduction in student movement/transitions in buildings
- Physically distancing in classrooms, as feasible
- One-way hallways
- Lunch in alternative locations, including classrooms
- Mandatory use of face shields/masks for both staff and students provided by the district
- Limited sharing of school supplies/equipment
- Staggered arrival and release times
- Limited gatherings and events
- Reduced capacity on buses
If parents choose to have their children attend school online, they'll be 'enrolled in a virtual campus and receive instruction in a completely online environment.'
The district says some questions are unable to be answered until plans are finalized.
"We will finalize our plans once we receive the requirements and guidance regarding in-person school from our state education officials," Harris said in the letter.
