SAN ANTONIO – The Harlandale Independent School District will begin the school year with four weeks of remote instruction, according to the district.
The Harlandale ISD Board approved on Monday the new 2020-21 school district calendar, which is a 180 instructional days calendar. According to the district, the first day of school under the new calendar is set for Aug. 24.
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The first four weeks of school will be “100% remote instruction amid the rise in cases of COVID-19 in Bexar County over the past few weeks,” according to a release from the district.
“The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our priority, and we want to make sure that everyone feels comfortable with going back to school,” Harlandale ISD’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, Melissa Casey, said in a released statement. “Therefore, we have decided to extend the remote learning two more weeks past city virtual learning orders and following TEA’s guidelines as well.”
According to the district, remote instruction will look very different than it did in March when the Texas Education Agency guided schools to provide instructional support to students.
There will be different opportunities for teachers to engage with their students in an asynchronous instruction model, which will range from live lessons to independent work, according to the district.
After the first four weeks, the COVID-19 situation will be evaluated. According to the district, the board may make a decision through a board resolution to extend remote learning for an extra four weeks as the district begins the transition period to in-person learning.
As that transition begins, teachers will be asked to return to their respective campuses, according to the district’s release. All safety and health protocols will be in place at every school and office in the district.
“We are taking every safety precaution necessary, and our schools are all equipped with plexiglass, adult and student face masks, face shields, thermometers and hand sanitizer,” Harlandale ISD Superintendent Gerardo Soto said in a released statement.
Click here for more information on Harlandale ISD’s reopening of school plans.