Mansfield ISD renews plan offering option between virtual and in-person education
CORRECTION: Mansfield school district students will start Aug. 12 as scheduled, but instruction will be given solely online until Sept. 8. In-person instruction previously was going to start on Sept. 28. Families that chose the district’s online option of instruction will continue learning online. The information was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.
Students in the Mansfield school district will start classes Aug. 12 as scheduled, but instruction will be given solely online until Sept. 8, the district announced.
Earlier in the day, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an opinion that rules like one in Tarrant County that required schools to host online-only classes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were not valid. While school districts can decide to start their academic year with online-only learning, Paxton said counties could not require it.
The rule was intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through schools.
School districts that start their academic year all online risk losing funding from the state.
In-person instruction previously was going to start on Sept. 28 in Mansfield. Families that chose the district’s online option of instruction will continue learning online.
Sean Scott, associate superintendent of curriculum, instruction and accountability, said 40% of enrollments in the district have been for online education.
A survey of teachers found that 26% were very comfortable returning to classrooms, 20% were somewhat comfortable, 28.6% were slightly uncomfortable and 25% were not comfortable.
Jennifer Stoecker, assistant superintendent of human resources, told the board the district will work on a case-by-case basis with employees who do not feel comfortable heading back to work for health reasons.
Students who attend in-person classes will be required to wear masks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and the district is asking parents to take the temperature of their children before sending them to campus.
Teachers of in-person classes will be able to send students to the nurse at any time to have their temperature checked. Teachers will also be teaching either in-person or online, not both.
Officials are also working out details about how to keep students separated in hallways during passing periods and how students can be involved in student council and other clubs and organizations.
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 1:32 PM.