Evening Facebook posts by WISD outlines school options and pandemic policies
In a Facebook post Tuesday evening, the Waxahachie Independent School District announced its reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year.
In short, parents will have the option to either send their children to school as before or enroll in online classes.
Students who return to the classroom will continue to experience the traditional school setting but with several changes in place as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including symptom screening, social distancing efforts and limitations on the number of students allowed in school facilities.
“Masks and/or face shields will be worn according to orders from the governor or other officials. Under the current orders from Governor Abbott, Waxahachie ISD will require all students fourth grade and above to wear masks,” states the post, attributed to WISD Superintendent Bonnie Cain. “Hand sanitizer stations will be placed in every classroom and in high traffic areas. Each teacher’s classroom will be stocked with products to clean and sanitize desks, chairs, door handles, etc., during the day.”
For students in 2nd – 12th grade who take the online-learning option, the schools will issue daily lessons to each student and measure participation to ensure daily attendance. Parents are responsible for purchasing an iPad, Chromebook or other compatible device along with providing for a high-speed internet connection.
“The district has a limited number of devices to loan students for online learning purposes. We strongly recommend that families purchase devices and ensure they have reliable internet access at home as soon as possible. Daily attendance will be measured according to minutes a student is engaged in online learning, so a stable internet connection is critical,” the post continues.
Enrollment in the online option will begin once the district makes applications available on July 30, 2020. All students, whether choosing in-person or online instruction, must be registered during regular registration times as posted on the WISD website.
The link to the full text of the post appears below.