Pflugerville ISD inching toward finalizing hybrid learning details

As the upcoming school year draws closer, some questions remain for Pflugerville ISD staff and students as officials work to iron out details for state-approved instruction guidelines.

During a June 29 special meeting, the PfISD board of trustees voted to allow district officials to purchase a Learning Management System, or LMS, which they said will help teachers and students bridge the gap between online learning and in-person instruction.

Trustees voted to authorize Superintendent Doug Killian to make the purchase to help prepare the district for a hybrid learning environment in the fall.

“We’re living in a lot of uncertainty at the moment. It’s imperative the district invest in some sort of LMS,” PfISD Chief Technology Officer Victor Valdez said June 29.

Valdez told trustees the district is continuing to research two companies for the contract.

Both Valdez and Killian said the district has to procure a new LMS to meet requirements set forward by the Texas Education Agency to provide instruction options for district families.

“Given the options the state is giving us now, it looks like we'll be offering two sets of learning for families,” Valdez said.

Killian may spend a maximum of $250,000 from the district’s budget on the new system, according to district officials. The superintendent said these systems are eligible for reimbursement through federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds that have been distributed to local counties and cities for relief aid.