Tomball ISD trustees to hold special in-person meeting Aug. 4 to discuss school calendar revisions

The Tomball ISD board of trustees will meet in person Aug. 4; trustees are expected to discuss revising the school calendar for 2020-21, according to the posted meeting agenda. Trustees will also receive an overview of Schoology, a learning management system board members approved purchasing for $93,325 in July, during the special meeting.

TISD Superintendent Martha Salazar-Zamora announced in a letter to families July 22 the district would begin the school year Aug. 18, as scheduled, but that in-person instruction would begin no earlier than Sept. 15 with all instruction initially delivered virtually, a shift from the prior offerings of virtual and in-person learning options to begin the school year.

Other districts across the Greater Houston area moved in July to postpone the start of the 2020-21 school year. Cy-Fair ISD board members postponed the start of school from Aug. 24 to Sept. 8 during a July 21 meeting, Community Impact Newspaper reported. South of Houston, Clear Creek ISD officials decided July 20 to gradually phase in its brick-and-mortar learners from Aug. 31-Sept. 8 instead of bringing students back to campuses Aug. 18, Community Impact Newspaper reported.

Neighboring Klein ISD approved June 12 extending school days by up to 15 minutes for the upcoming school year.

After months of virtual meetings amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Aug. 4 special meeting will be held in person at the John P. Neubauer Administration Building, located at 310 S. Cherry St., Tomball. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m., but seating will be limited and be on a first-come, first-served basis according to the in-person meeting safeguards posted on the district's website.

Doors will open at 5 p.m.

A face covering is required for all those attending the meeting in person, and masks will not be provided, according to district information.

As seating will be limited, the meeting will be livestreamed on the TISD Facebook page, and a recording of the meeting will be posted on the district's website.

If registered speakers for the public comment portion of the meeting are not able to secure a seat, they will still be able to speak but must exit the building after doing so.

Residents can sign up to speak during the public comment period about agenda items by completing an online form from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 4.