WISD to offer on-campus, at home options
The Wimberley Independent School District has announced plans for re-opening with a daily school schedule at the beginning of next school year in line with Texas Education Agency guidelines and requirements for school systems throughout the state.
“Our biggest challenge right now is making sure our kids move forward academically, and we do it in the safest way possible,” WISD Superintendent Dwain York said. “Right now, our first 4 to 6 weeks will be assessing kids about what was not covered as well as has was not retained over the summer.”
WISD will offer “on-campus teacher to student instruction” five days a week to all students.
“We recognize the sacrifice parents made,” York said. “All of the sudden your school was closed. Many lost a job. Many were trying to figure out what to do. Do I put food on the table or help my kid through a Zoom? It was unbelievable. I have never been in this situation in education. Nobody has. But also, there are things you learn when you are at school in-person. Kids need to be around their peers. They learn team work and problem solving – real life skills.”
It is a TEA requirement that the district offer an on campus schooling option to all students that want to attend, but families will have other options that do not require in-person attendance. Classes will begin August 19, and the district plans to follow the academic calendar that was previously adopted by the Board of Trustees. The district will also offer two “full-time athome learning” options for students.
Students attending Jacob’s Well Elementary, Danforth Junior High or Wimberley High School will have the opportunity to participate in “synchronous instruction,” which is a real-time, live instruction with two-way communication between teachers and students through a computer, phone or other device. Students that follow this at-home learning option will follow along with a live video stream of their teacher during lessons, assignments, tests, etc at specified times.
There is also an option for “asynchronous instruction,” which is more self-guided.
“Students engage in the learning materials on their own time, interacting intermittently with the teacher via computer, other devices, or over the phone,” and email from WISD said.
This option would be similar to the way WISD offered instruction for the final portion of the school year. It will be offered to students at all of the districts schools.
Students and staff that are on campus are required to comply with Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order requiring masks inside for most people over the age of 10 with some medical exceptions. York said that the district would comply with the governor’s orders.
“To comply with the governor’s order, Wimberley ISD will require the use of face coverings (disposable masks, cloth face coverings, face shields) for all students, staff, and visitors 10 years of age or older,” an email from the district said. “Also per the governor’s order, any person with a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering will be exempt from this rule.”
There is still much to be determined about the intricacies of the 2020-21 school year. WISD has had a task force of parents, students, teachers and staff working for weeks to make plans for the coming school years. But York also said that in this ever-changing time, one of the keys to success would be flexibility.
“We will release more details in the coming weeks that will give you answers to many of the questions that I know you have,” York said. “Information will be forthcoming on personal protective equipment, attendance requirements, screening processes, procedures for a positive COVID-19 case, the process for selecting on-campus or at-home learning, and much more.”