Almost half of Fort Worth ISD parents have asked for online classes amid COVID-19
Fort Worth parents are divided on whether they want their children to go back to school in person or continue learning online.
Parents were given the option to choose how they wanted their children to learn amid the novel coronavirus pandemic when they registered them for the 2020-21 school year. So far, 57% have said they’d like in-person instruction and 43% want virtual instruction, said Clint Bond, a spokesman for the Fort Worth school district.
Nearly 12,000 students have registered for the school year, scheduled to start Aug. 17, Bond said.
But much is up in the air.
Restrictions and guidance changes constantly as elected and health leaders work to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The Texas Education Agency on July 7 issued guidelines for schools, saying students heading back to school this fall must screen themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and wear masks if Gov. Greg Abbott’s order requiring masks remains in place when school begins.
But the agency also said parents may ask for their children to receive virtual instruction from any school district that offers it. The TEA said students learning remotely may be locked in to that decision for at least one full grading period.
The TEA’s public health guidance also said that school districts have the option of temporarily limiting access to in-person instruction during the first three weeks of the school year.
Fort Worth school officials said they are ramping up for school to begin on schedule, barring any new developments or restrictions.
“We have ordered PPE for adults and students and cleaning supplies,” Bond said in a statement. “Measurements have been taken at schools so we know how many students we can safely have in a classroom.
“Other spaces such as auditoriums, gyms, lunchrooms are considered alternative classrooms if needed.”
He added that there’s no deadline for families to register their students, as they typically are still registering students after school begins.
The district is putting in place protocols at all campuses. Schools will be cleaned multiple times during the day, and hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be in every classroom.
In addition, “custodial staff will use EPA-approved disinfectants to regularly and rigorously clean ‘high-touch areas’ during the school day,” according to a press release from the Fort Worth school district. “Each school will be cleaned again when classes conclude.”
To register a student for classes, parents and guardians are asked to visit fwisd.org/register. Registration began July 1.
Officials in the Arlington, Northwest and Keller school districts did not immediately respond to requests about how their parents want students to learn in the fall.
