The decision follows a July 14 order from the city of Austin and Travis County that bans all in-person classes through Sept. 8 in light of a surge in coronavirus cases.
Per the updated orders, extracurricular sports and school activities will also be suspended until campuses reopen, which could lead to the cancellation of Westlake High School’s Aug. 28 football season kickoff.
EISD students will still begin classes Aug. 19 as outlined by the 2020-21 school year calendar, but they will do so through a revised and more substantial remote learning program.
Administrators have spent the past several weeks refining these schedules in an effort to balance screen time and teacher-student interactions.
Parents and students should anticipate a more robust virtual platform than what was administered in March, with remote learning schedules reflecting traditional school days, according to EISD.
Officials said the district’s initial reopening plan, referred to as Ready to Re-Engage, or R2R, will be updated to reflect these changes and may continue to evolve as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic progresses.
“We realize remote learning is not ideal for children and for working families. It is difficult,” Superintendent Tom Leonard said. “But the safety of our students, staff and community is paramount; without healthy teachers and staff, we cannot run schools.”
