On Feb. 24, in-person students may return to campus, and virtual learning will resume as well. Transportation and child nutrition services will be operational too.
HCISD reported ongoing issues at 18 of its 25 campuses as a result of last week's winter weather, with many schools suffering from water damage or a lack of running water.
The Impact Center, areas of Barton and Wallace middle schools, and areas of Fuentes, Hemphill and Tom Green elementary schools were the most heavily affected campuses, the district said.
Delaying classes until Feb. 24 is meant to provide cleanup crews with additional time and will also allow for bottled water and food deliveries to arrive at affected schools before students return.
The district said the decision would also provide teachers with time to adjust lesson plans. HCISD employees may return to district facilities to retrieve materials, but they were advised to be cautious in areas where cleanup crews may be active.
According to the district, some extracurricular activities could resume before Feb. 24, but it will depend upon the availability of potable water. Parents are advised to contact coaches and activity sponsors for details about previously scheduled events.
Returning to Dahlstrom Middle School after U.K. COVID-19 case
Students of Dahlstrom Middle School, who have attended classes virtually due to a student testing positive for the U.K. variant of the coronavirus, will be able to return to in-person learning on Feb. 24 as well.
The district said contact tracing identified one staff member and 43 students who needed to be placed under a precautionary quarantine, none of whom have reported symptoms or a positive test result.
In-person students and staff were previously not scheduled to return to campus until Feb. 25, but HCISD said contact tracing results and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines allow the campus to reopen a day early.
Feb. 24 also exceeds the 14-day window since the last known case of the U.K. variant was present on campus, according to the district.
