The board of trustees met the morning of July 27 to take final action on the modified 2020-21 calendar. Trustees had previously deliberated the changes at a July 20 meeting.
The updated calendar only changes the start date. Students will still complete the school year May 27, 2021.
The aim of pushing back the start date to Aug. 24 is to provide more time for teachers to be trained on providing online instruction, said Janet McDade, assistant superintendent for student services for CISD, at the July 20 meeting.
"That would give us 10 days prior to the school year to begin training our teachers," McDade said at the meeting. "That week of [Aug. 17], which would have been the first week of school, would be an additional training week for our teachers."
The professional development calendar for teachers includes training on managing online classrooms, Zoom meetings and webcams as well as other training sessions on security and cultural diversity in a virtual classroom.
Although classes will begin Aug. 24, most students will be receiving virtual instruction until Sept. 28 after a June 21 Tarrant County executive order pushed back the start of in-person learning at schools until Sept. 28.
Local health authorities said the recent surge in COVID-19 cases has yet to level off in a way that would allow for a safe reopening of in-person learning.
See CISD's plans for virtual learning here.
