ODESSA, Texas — In a board meeting on Tuesday, ECISD laid out details for what education will look like in the county when school begins on August 12.
Kids from Pre-K to junior high will have three options for the upcoming year: completely face-to-face classes throughout the year, a hybrid of online and in-person class, or fully online education.
Students in high school will have to choose between a hybrid of online and in-person classes or exclusively online learning.
ECISD cited an inability to implement proper social distancing measures at high schools with larger student bodies as the primary reason for the lack of a totally face-to-face option for those campuses.
Health and safety measures:
Students from Pre-K through third grade will only be recommended to wear masks in class but will be required to wear them for transitions between classes.
For students in fourth grade through high school, masks will be required in class and must be warn in all situations except for during meals and outdoor activities.
All ECISD employees will also be required to wear masks and will be self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms before work each day.
The district will be sanitizing campuses and buses regularly with sanitizer treatments, but also indicated that positive cases may necessitate the closure of individual classrooms, school wings, schools or the entire district.
No lockers or storage areas will be used for the 2020-21 year, meaning that backpacks will be the primary method by which students will transport books and school supplies between classes.
ECISD will allow students to bring lunches from home, but parents will not be allowed to bring lunch to their students at school. High school students will stay on campus for lunch.
Buses:
On buses, only one student will be allowed per seat, aside from students from the same household.
Hand sanitizing will be required upon boarding of the bus where sanitizer will be provided, and buses will be cleaned after each trip.
Drivers and monitors will be wearing face masks and shields while on buses and students will be required to wear face masks.
Back-to-school dates:
Campuses will be opening in four phases beginning on the first day of class on August 12, with many students following an A/B schedule.
The student population will be split in half with this schedule which ensures that only one half of the total student population at each school is allowed on campuses per day.
Each subsequent phase will allow select groups of students to return to campus for families that have elected to participate in face-to-face classes.
Phase One on Wednesday, August 12:
- Students without internet access at home
- Students receiving special services
- Children of ECISD employees
Phase Two on Tuesday, August 18:
- Pre-K through second grade students
- Third grade students at Noel and Travis elementary schools
- Sixth and ninth grade students
- Third, sixth, and ninth grade students will return using A/B schedule
Phase Three on Monday, August 24:
- All remaining third grade students
- Fourth grade students at Cameron, Noel, and Travis elementary schools
- Second grade students at Pease and Zavala elementary schools
- Seventh grade students
- Tenth grade students
- Third, fourth, seventh, and tenth grade students will follow A/B schedule
Phase Four on Friday, August 28:
- All remaining fourth and fifth grade students
- Sixth grade students at Cameron elementary
- Eighth grade students
- Eleventh and twelfth grade students
- All students listed for phase for will follow an A/B schedule
ECISD Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri will be answering questions on a Facebook livestream on Wednesday at 7 p.m. More details on the plan can be found at the ECISD website.