LOCAL

‘The goal is get everyone back in the building, but safely,’ Eanes officials say

Luz Moreno-Lozano
The Eanes school board approved a resolution Tuesday that will allow them to delay bringing more students back to campus through Oct. 9.

Eanes will slowly ease students back to campus this fall, implementing a phased-in program that will allow most teachers and about 25% of students to return to school Sept. 8. A resolution approved Tuesday will give the district the option to delay more students from returning to campus until Oct. 13, but school board members are hoping to expand in-person learning sooner than that.

Some families had urged the district to commit to opening campuses sooner. Several parents wrote into the public forum Tuesday, calling the decision to keep an option to extend the transition period premature and political.

“I urge you to not to extend the virtual learning for those that would like to go back,” said Angela McCown. “Let us. It can be done. Multiple school districts across the state are allowing those that want in person to go in person starting Sept. 8 at beyond the 25%. I am an essential worker and so is my husband. Give those that want in person the chance to go back, so we can move on with working and our children can get the Eanes education that we live here for.”

In an August survey, which garnered a 96% response from parents, 61% of parents indicated their students would return to campus when possible.

The district will offer only remote learning for the first three weeks of school — Aug. 19- Sept. 7 — in line with Travis County health orders to help combat the spread of COVID-19, the disease linked to the coronavirus.

Tuesday’s resolution allows the district the flexibility to expand virtual learning through Oct. 9, using that transition period to “safely and feasibly return students to on-campus instruction.” But it also gives the district the flexibility to increase the percentage of students sooner than Oct. 13, if it chooses to do so.

Superintendent Tom Leonard said district leaders felt this path forward was the best way to protect the safety and health of students and staff in a sustainable manner.

“The resolution says we may exercise that additional four-week option, but it does leave flexibility to pivot as necessary,” he said. “One of the things that is clear to me is what we start we have to sustain it. We thought it would be best to start with the 25% who are the most vulnerable in the remote learning environment in-person and keep operating for as long as we can.”

The 25% of students returning to campuses Sept. 8 will be selected based on need, including students with significant academic gaps, English learners and students who have challenges learning in a virtual environment. The remaining 75% will learn virtually.

Throughout the eight-week program, elementary learners will follow a blended learning model that allows students to receive 180-minutes of live, whether in-person or turned into Zoom, of core instruction — math, English, social studies, science — and time for P.E, music, art and intervention, which could be done remotely. Middle and high school students, whether remote or in-person, will be on an eight period schedule that will include core and elective classes.

Parents have expressed concerns about screen time and unguided lessons, but district staff said they have built in time for all students that allows them to be away from devices and have planned out lessons that keep children engaged remotely.

When all students are allowed to return to campus there will be quite a few noticeable changes.

Health and safety protocols will include enhanced cleaning and disinfection, social distancing and the requirement of facial coverings for everyone on campus. Staff and students are required to provide their own face masks. However, disposable masks will also be available. Leonard said the district was provided 44,000 disposable masks from the state.

Sanitization stations — sanitizer, gloves and sanitizing wipes — will be placed in each classroom. Signs will be installed in hallways to help limit exposure, and visitors to campus will likely be curtailed. Anyone on campus will also be required to self screen for illnesses or symptoms.

In a June survey, 73% of parents said they wanted to send their children back to school. In this month’s survey, that number dropped to 61%. Still, that means that by October more than 4,700 students — 1,813 elementary, 1,127 middle school, 1,784 high school students— could be back in classrooms across all nine campuses, based on survey results released Tuesday. However, parents can change their options up to two weeks before in-person learning is set to begin.

Deputy Superintendent Jeff Arnett said the district has a total 8,147 students, 643 of whom are out-of-district transfers, enrolled as of Aug. 11.

According to enrollment data released Tuesday, 14 elementary school classes are over the 22-to-1 student-teacher ratio, which is an improvement over last year, Arnett said. Westlake High School is also experiencing its highest enrollment in school history with 2,918 students enrolled. Arnett said two teachers — English and social studies — were added back to the staff to help maintain reasonable class sizes.

While the community has pushed back on the extended virtual learning decision, board members said the goal is to get people back in the building while also keeping everyone safe and healthy. The additional four weeks allow the district to ensure all the proper protocols are in place to achieve and sustain that goal.

“We have to articulate a plan to the community that creates a sustainable environment and education,” said Board Member Jason Paull. “For me, getting back in school is making sure we are keeping teachers there and we can't shy away from the fact that we need to protect their health, too. If there are no teachers in the classroom, we can’t run school. Our goal is to educate kids in a sustainable fashion and if people can't support that then they’re not paying attention.”

Results from an August parent survey show about 61% of parents will send their children back to campus when possible.