In response to a March 16 announcement from Gov. Greg Abbott waiving the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, testing requirements, Klein ISD will not be issuing the test in the 2019-20 school year.

According to the announcement, standardized STAAR testing serves to assess students' academic performance in grade-level content over the academic school year. As a result of recent school closures due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, Abbott encouraged school district teachers and staff to prioritize alternative learning methods at this time.

"Your health and safety are top priorities, and the state of Texas will give school districts flexibility to protect and ensure the health of students, faculty and their families," Gov. Abbott said in the announcement. "We will empower schools to make the best decisions to protect their communities from COVID-19."

KISD Superintendent Jenny McGown said the district plans to follow the governor's announcement and will not administer the STAAR tests this school year.

“In these difficult and uncertain times, removing the pressure of STAAR testing this school year is the right decision, and we are grateful to our state leadership for recognizing this and responding accordingly," McGown said in a statement. "While we continue teaching and learning in a new way, we remain focused on keeping people safe and protecting the physical, emotional and mental health our Klein ISD students, educators, and families.”


As previously reported by Community Impact Newspaper, all KISD campuses are closed until April 10. The district is currently distributing hot meals, backpacks and printed lesson plans for students at this time.