Gov. Greg Abbott announced March 16 that the testing requirements for the 2019-20 school year are waived as many districts across the state face extended closures and a move to online instruction in the wake of the novel coronavirus.
Just two days before Abbott’s announcement, Lewisville ISD signed a letter to the Texas Education Agency along with 57 other school districts urging state officials to cancel this year’s STAAR test.
Lewisville ISD board President Katherine Sells told Community Impact Newspaper that the district decided to sign the letter in an attempt to advocate for students, staff and the entire district.
“We are facing an unprecedented situation in education,” Sells said. “Given the significant disruption to instruction, it would have been unreasonable to just carry on as usual. This decision will allow districts to focus on supporting students, serving the community, and making sure students and staff alike are well cared for.”
Developments of coronavirus and how to best prevent spreading it are coming in at a rapid pace each day. Sells said she cannot even begin to speculate what the rest of the school year may look like.
“But I am confident in LISD’s ability to navigate this situation,” she said. “I am confident in district leadership, I am confident in our staff, and I am confident that our communities will rally together to support each other.”
