‘Building’ Momentum As the Start of School Approaches
This summer has left schools preparing for a start of school like never before amidst the current pandemic.
Monday’s meeting of the La Grange school board reflected these unprecedented times.
Start of School for August
The board was updated on how the administration has been working this summer to compile a plan for a “Safe Return to School for Students, Staff, and Parents.” This complete plan was made available to the public on Wednesday, July 22 and can be found at https://www. lgisd.net. The plan covers lots of health and safety measures of infection control.
Among the highlights:
• School will start Aug. 13
• Parents will have the ability to choose how they wish for their students to attend school this fall, whether in-person or remotely. Parents will be asked to make a commitment for their child by Friday, July 31.
• Students in grades 4-12 are required to wear their own masks at all times as well as when in hallways, common areas, and during arrival and dismissal; students in lower grades are highly encouraged to wear a mask.
• Bus transportation will continue
• Desks and tables will be arranged to maximize space between students; desks and tables will not always be placed six feet apart due to space constraints.
• Recess will be conducted for elementary students.
• Cafeterias will be open to serve Grab-N-Go breakfasts and lunch daily. The physical setup for the cafeteria and the schedule will be adjusted to reduce the number of students in the cafeteria at one time. Each campus cafeteria space will be evaluated to ensure social distancing as much as possible. Some students will be eating in the cafeteria and other students may eat in a classroom if necessary.
• La Grange ISD will follow TEA guidelines for class size. At this time, the class size requirements are the same as a regular school year.
School Calendar Amendments
The calendar for the 2020- 2021 school year was approved at the February 2020 board meeting. However, since that time, COVID-19 has disrupted school calendars with the closure of campuses this past spring. Due to the continuance of COVID-19 in the United States, TEA is recommending that school districts consider the possibility that school closures will happen again during the 2020-2021 school year.
This past spring, school districts were not held to the 75,600 minute requirement in a school year. However, that will not be the case going into the 2020- 2021 school year. School districts will be held to the 75,600 minute minimum.
Due to possible unforeseen circumstances of COVID-19, it may become necessary to alter the school calendar during the 2020-2021 school year. Changes to the calendar may include:
1) Adding minutes to the school day;
2) Having school in session during scheduled holidays.
The board recognized the editors of the 2019-2020 Leopard Spots, Jordyn Von Minden, Summer Blankenburg, Maddie Stevens, and Erica Orona for the extra effort put in to getting the yearbook out during the school closure. The board also recognized school nurse Kari Willrich for outstanding work, going above and beyond during the months of the school closure because of COVID-19.
Construction Update
Progress to date includes:
• Parking and drives at the Special Education and Technology Center are near completion.
• Building structural framing is complete for Phase 2 of the new elementary school.
• Interior walls installation in the music center is near completion. The project is currently on scheduled to be completed by December 2020.
Lot’s more from the meeting in Tuesday’s Record!