Non-religious private school in Fort Worth suburb asks to open next month
Kim Olstrup, who owns the Midcities Montessori private school, has been working on preparations to reopen since May.
She is now questioning why her K-12 small private school cannot open on Aug. 17 while private schools with religious affiliations can do so.
She also contacted Tarrant County officials but said she did not get a response.
“I don’t understand what makes me so different from a private religious school down the street or a karate studio that is open all day long where kids can go,” she said.
Earlier this week, the county’s top health officials signed a joint order stating that public schools and non-religious private schools would have to hold virtual classes until at least September 28.
The order does not apply to private schools with religious affiliations. Last week, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued guidelines saying that private religious schools can decide whether to open.
The Tarrant County Health Department said in an emailed statement that “given recent increases in the number of cases in young children, especially children with a history of having attended childcare, educational and recreational camps, Tarrant County strongly recommends that all schools adhere to the order. Due to the legal issues that complicate enforcing orders on religious institutions, these schools were omitted from the order. In no way does this omission indicate that Tarrant County Public Health feels that these schools do not present the same risk for disease transmission.”
Olstrup said her school, which began operating five years ago, is in a former gym where each classroom is 800 square feet, allowing plenty of space for social distancing.
The classrooms were once racquetball courts.
Olstrup said she worked hard to put safety measures in place, including purchasing a machine to help with disinfecting that is used in places such as car rental areas and hospitals. She also reduced the size of her school from 130 students to around 60.
Face to face learning
Olstrup said she is also worried that her students are not getting the education they need with online learning. “You start doing virtual learning, there is no eye contact, and kids start falling behind,” she said.
Laura Colangelo, executive director of the Texas Private Schools association, said in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the organization is asking the state to clarify that the orders should not apply to any private school.
Olstrup said she is also worried about the parents who are trying to get their children educated and who also must return to work.
“Parents out there want answers about how they are going to get their children educated,” she said.
“I’m so frustrated right now that I could just cry,” Olstrup said.
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
CORRECTION: Kim Olstrup is the owner of the Midcities Montessori private school in Bedford. Her name was incorrectly spelled in a previous version of the story.