The district had previously extended its school closure, which began March 16 to curb the spread of coronavirus, through May 4, per Abbott’s previous recommendation.
The district has since rolled out a remote learning curriculum while distributing Chromebooks and curbside meals to students in need. The district has already distributed Chromebooks to middle and high school students and will begin distributing Chromebooks to fourth- and fifth-grade students, as well as to all special education students, this Saturday, April 18.
“While we miss instructing and supporting our students in person, we’re grateful for the state’s leadership in making health and safety a priority for our entire community,” Superintendent Rodney Watson said in a statement. “We are looking forward to continuing with our remote learning plan, which we’re calling Empowered Learning At-Home 2.0, and giving students all the tools they need to finish out the school year successfully.”
According to the release, all students will be completing three project-based learning plans, designed for their specific grade level, to fulfill all of their requirements by the end of the 2019-20 school year.
Additionally, the district recently announced plans to host both virtual and in-person graduation ceremonies for the class of 2020. For more information about those plans, click here.
“I’m incredibly proud of all of our students, and especially our seniors, as they continue to stay focused on learning amid these challenging circumstances,” Watson said in a statement. “As a district, we’re grateful for everyone’s support.”
Following Gov. Abbott’s order, the Texas Education Agency released a statement sharing their support for his decision.
TEA statement in support of @GovAbbott’s statewide closure of schools for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year #TxEd #StayHomeTexas #ApartTogether pic.twitter.com/M5IXaEDkWv
— Texas Education Agency (@teainfo) April 17, 2020
