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Killeen ISD announces plan for upcoming school year

Published  July 15, 2020 3:59pm CDT
Killeen
FOX 7 Austin

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KILLEEN, Texas - The Killeen Independent School District has announced its plan for students returning to school on August 17. 

The district will be holding both traditional in-person classroom learning and a custom virtual online platform to accommodate families who are not comfortable sending their children back to school due to COVID-19.

RELATED: Houston ISD to begin school year Sept. 8 with six weeks of virtual instruction

"Our plan provides the greatest flexibility to adapt to our very fluid environment, through designed vehicles for instructional continuity, that can best navigate unforeseen circumstances as they arise," KISD wrote in a press release. 

Families are asked to request their preferred learning platform with the district by Monday, July 27.

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For those looking to have their children return to traditional in-person learning, KISD says they plan to increase custodial efforts. Schools will use hospital-grade disinfectant and encourage frequent hand washing and daily self-screening. 

KISD will mitigate COVID-19 spread through: 

  • Allow face coverings beyond the expiration of any lawful directives
  • Encourage social distancing on campus and during extracurricular activities
  • Limit large gatherings, close playground equipment use, and cancel field trips
  • Keep campuses closed to external visitors and require appointments
  • Provide school supplies to reduce communal use
  • Serve breakfast and lunch in the cafeterias, not in classrooms
  • Disinfect buses following each run
  • Train KISD employees and student on COVID-19 virus spread mitigation

For those parents looking to have their children learn virtually from home, students' attendance, assignments, assessments, and grades will be required. The district says virtual learners will engage in live online and recorded lessons from their teachers during normal class times correlated to a normal school schedule.

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KISD will support virtual learning through: 

  • Employee professional development Aug. 4-14 addressing multiple platforms and technology integration
  • Grab & Go meal distribution with required documentation
  • Students in need may receive technology, connectivity, and hotline support

The district also says that families may transition between the virtual and in-person learning platforms as they deem appropriate through their specific campus.

Information, including a COVID-19 Safety Plan will be available on our website as required by the Texas Education Agency. 

Austin Public Health orders Travis County schools to delay in-person classes

The order comes as several school districts moved to remote learning for the first three weeks of school. 

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