That news has not deterred district officials from continuing with both in-person and virtual learning beginning Aug. 24. Nearly 100 community members spoke at an Aug. 10 meeting both for and against the resumption of in-person learning at the beginning of the school year.
So far, about 57% of students will return for in-person learning, while about 43% will be part of the district's Dragon Virtual Academy, according to Superintendent David Faltys.
Faltys outlined the district's plans for handling COVID-19 cases during the school year at the Aug. 10 meeting.
"First and foremost, we want to make sure that our kids receive the education that they deserve and they need," Faltys said. "We also are working to be as flexible as possible so that ... students, families and their staff do have choices."
Faltys also said the district will require students to wear masks while traveling on buses, entering campuses and while in the classroom, but the district's younger students will have plastic dividers that will allow them to take their masks off during school hours.
The district has also launched a dashboard for tracking cases throughout the district, available here.
The two staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 worked at Carroll Elementary and Eubanks Intermediate schools, according to the district dashboard.
The discussion on Aug. 10 was part of a special-called meeting that district officials organized in case new guidance from Tarrant County would result in pushing back the in-person start date.
"At this point, I don't see us changing our course of action," Board President Michelle Moore said.
