North East ISD will only have in-person learning this fall, district says

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s second largest school district is doing away with remote learning next fall due to a lack of funding from the state, according to district officials.

North East ISD said Thursday on social media that it will only offer in-person classes during the next school year, and it will discontinue all of its remote learning after state lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would provide the funding needed for it to continue.

“Texas lawmakers recently failed to pass a bill that would have funded schools that chose to offer remote or virtual learning,” the district said in the post. “...We cannot in good conscience try to offer remote learning without the appropriate law(s) in place, guidance from the state, and gaining access to the necessary resources to support remote learning.”

NEISD students and staff can plan on returning in-person in the fall, but the district said, “if anything changes, we will let you know.”

This comes just months after Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order that no longer requires face masks on Texas public school campuses. The order went into effect on June 5.

Any local governments or officials that attempt to impose a mask mandate can face a fine of up to $1,000, according to a previous KSAT report.

Other concerns stem from the limited COVID-19 vaccines available for children nationwide. Currently, Pfizer is the only vaccine that has been approved for children ages 12 and older.

Age requirements for the Moderna and J&J vaccines are 18 and older.

The district’s first day of school is set for August 16. To learn more about NEISD’s plan for next year, visit its website here.