Georgetown ISD students who spend a majority of their school day in special education courses will be able to attend in-person classes beginning Aug. 20, the district’s first day of school, GISD Executive Director of Communications Melinda Brasher confirmed.
The district will open its doors for students who spend at least 60% of their school day in non-general education courses. A total of 178 students were offered the opportunity but 79 have enrolled as of Aug. 14, Brasher said.
It is no secret the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted education, but for students who require individualized attention, the effect has been insurmountable, she said.
“This [includes] a lot of our more medically fragile students who are in contained classrooms or have a significant amount of support because of their levels of learning,” Brasher said.
GISD educators spoke of the unique difficulties that come with providing an education to special education students virtually in April after schools closed to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Tiffani Walker, GISD's executive director of special and federal programs, said at that time that virtual learning forced her expert teachers to begin coaching parents on replicating the same expertise in their homes.
The opportunity to return to a classroom setting will alleviate that, officials said.
Safety precautions such as frequent cleanings and the wearing of masks will still be in place unless exempted by the school.
The rest of the student population will begin the first three weeks of school virtually with the option for in-person classes beginning Sept. 10.
