SAN ANTONIO – What is going to public school going to look like for the 2021-2022 school year? It’s a question many parents and students are wondering with the start of the academic year just weeks away.
For some students in San Antonio and the surrounding areas, this will be their first time in a physical classroom since the spring of 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic shuttered Texas schools.
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An executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott in May prohibits governmental entities like schools from issuing mask mandates but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated guidelines that advise people to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccine status.
Related: Here are the COVID plans for San Antonio-area school districts
The Texas State Teachers Association has urged Abbott to give schools the power to require masks ahead of the start of the school year.
“If Gov. Abbott really cares about the health and safety of Texas students, educators and their communities, he will give local school officials and health experts the option of requiring masks in their schools,” said TSTA president Ovidia Molina.
Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends face masks for all students, teachers and staff this year.
According to a report from the Texas Tribune, Texas law allows remote instruction for public schools as long as the majority of instruction is in person.
North East Independent School District Superintendent Sean Maika sent a letter to parents on July 22 that states virtual learning won’t be offered thanks in part to Texas lawmakers failing to pass a bill that would have helped fund districts that previously offered remote virtual learning.
House Bill 1468 died on the legislative floor despite being broadly supported by both Republicans and Democrats and would have allowed funding for virtual education in Texas schools. Read more on that here.
With the return to in-person learning, San Antonio-area school districts have released academic calendars online. Each link in the list below provides the most up-to-date information available regarding the district’s academic calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. The coinciding dates are the start dates for the beginning of the school year for each district.
- Alamo Heights ISD - August 16
- Boerne ISD - August 11
- Comal ISD - August 24
- East Central ISD - August 16
- Edgewood ISD - August 9
- Floresville ISD - August 11
- Harlandale ISD - August 16
- Judson ISD - August 16
- La Vernia ISD - August 18
- Medina Valley ISD - August 17
- New Braunfels ISD - August 23
- North East ISD - August 16
- Northside ISD - August 23
- San Antonio ISD - August 9
- Schertz-Cibolo-Universal-City ISD - August 12
- Somerset ISD - August 23
- South San Antonio ISD - August 9
- Southside ISD - August 16
- Southwest ISD - August 23
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