Alamo Colleges District has extended its temporary operating adjustments for remote learning until Sunday, Feb. 6.

Alamo Colleges District will have remote learning for the first two weeks of the fall semester, officials say.

San Antonio – Harlandale Independent School District has partnered with the City of San Antonio to bring internet to hundreds of students by installing cell towers throughout the community. Through the initiative entitled “Connected Beyond the Classroom,” the City of San Antonio will place the towers around the community to provide fast-speed internet for students. “Through the Connected Beyond the Classroom initiative that the city is managing, we get six towers in and around the district,” Martinez said. Martinez said that about 90% of the students in the district are economically disadvantaged and about 75% of HISD students are still learning remotely. Related: A conversation with San Antonio students about school safety, the digital divide and mental health

Harlandale ISD changes course on MLK holiday, adds extra school day insteadSAN ANTONIO – Harlandale Independent School District officials have recommended that families transition from in-person instruction to a virtual learning model as local COVID-19 case counts continue to surge in San Antonio. In a letter to district families on Tuesday, superintendent Gerardo Soto urged families who can facilitate learning from home to transition to online learning. As from the beginning of this pandemic, we are trying to do our part to end it and keep the virus outside our district,” Soto said in a letter to district families. In-person instruction will still be available for those parents who have previously chosen for their children to participate in this form of instruction,” Soto said. On Tuesday, Harlandale ISD announced that weekly COVID-19 testing would be available at all campuses beginning on Jan. 26.

SAN ANTONIO – According to a new survey conducted by the UTSA Urban Education Institute, 26% of families say they are experiencing food insecurity. That means their food supply ran out and there was no money to buy more. Director Michael Villareal said this is something we see throughout the city, not just in any particular part of town. According to Eric Cooper with the San Antonio Food Bank, the results show a direct correlation with remote learning. Villareal hopes the issues highlighted in this survey will trigger community involvement to combat food insecurity especially amid this pandemic.

At least a third of children couldn’t access remote learning when the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools, creating “a global education emergency,” the U.N. children’s agency said. At the height of lockdowns meant to curb the pandemic, nearly 1.5 billion children were affected by school closures, UNICEF said. “For at least 463 million children whose schools closed due to COVID-19, there was no such a thing as remote learning,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said. The highest number of children affection by region were in South Asia, at least 147 million, according to the report. The youngest children are also most likely to miss out on remote learning during critical years, the report said, largely due to challenges and limitations to online learning for young children and lack of assets at home.

Student lifts shirt up, makes sexual advances at teacher during virtual classIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

Meanwhile, the largest district in the state that’s currently offering face-to-face instruction has now quarantined more than 1,150 students because of possible coronavirus exposure. According to numbers released Wednesday, around 70 students and staff members in the Cherokee County district have tested positive for COVID-19. Washington stateSeattle schools to start with remote teachingThe Seattle school board has voted unanimously to begin the academic year with remote teaching only. The Seattle Times reported the state’s largest school district approved the plan Wednesday. The remote learning plan passed with a wide-ranging amendment from school board members that directs the superintendent to explore creating outdoor classes.

The Texas Education Agency released new guidelines on remote learning, funding and school attendance on Tuesday. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.