Some Houston-area school districts allow virtual learning option amid COVID outbreak, parent outcry

HOUSTON – With the increase in cases of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, many parents of school-aged children, especially those who are too young to be vaccinated, are advocating for a virtual learning option.

The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District posted an update to its website on Friday stating that it “is researching virtual learning options for a limited number of students for the 2021-2022 school year and will soon provide more ‘information’.

Conroe ISD announced on Friday that it will offer a limited one-semester-only virtual program for K-6 students. Parents must register before Tuesday at 5 p.m.

“The reason we are launching this program is because of the students who have not yet had a chance to get vaccinated and the current levels of COVID in our community,” said Conroe Superintendent Dr. Curtis Null, in a videotaped statement about the district. website.

Null explained the district’s decision to go ahead, despite a lack of state funding.

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“In fact, I had the opportunity to have a personal 30-minute telephone interview with Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Tuesday evening. I pleaded once again for them to consider allowing us to have a virtual school. And again, this fell on deaf ears, ”Null said.

Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Teachers’ Federation, is hoping Houston ISD will follow suit and provide a virtual option.

“But I want this to be clear. If there is a virtual option, we don’t want a hybrid option. It must be completely virtual. We know the hybrid model didn’t work. It was very difficult for our students, and very difficult for our teachers, ”she said.

A Houston ISD spokesperson told KPRC 2 News that with the rapidly changing situation, they were not yet ready to talk about virtual learning but hoped to have an official plan by Friday.

Alief ISD Superintendent HD Chambers said he had not heard from parents wanting a virtual option, but said providing it would be difficult due to understaffing.

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“I mean the teachers, the people who can actually educate the students in a virtual environment. It’s a big challenge that we’re going to have, and we have it now and we’re going to have it for the foreseeable future, ”he said.

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD said its temporary virtual program will serve students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 and will last “at least for the first grading period.” Virtual places will be limited. Students in special circumstances will be given priority.

Fort Bend ISD will launch its virtual learning program on August 30 for Kindergarten to Grade 6, for one semester. Students aged 12 and over eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination cannot participate in the program.

Humble ISD said it will continue to offer a virtual option and approximately 2,000 students have enrolled. The deadline has passed, but you can register on the waiting list.

The deadline to register for virtual learning at Conroe ISD is Tuesday; The Cy-Fair ISD deadline is Thursday and the Fort Bend ISD deadline is Friday. By the way, the FBISD said that funding a virtual school for one semester will cost the district $ 10.4 million.

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Spring ISD and Clear Creek ISD told KPRC 2 that they will follow recent guidelines from the Texas Education Agency allowing distance education for up to 20 days in total to students who are ill, test positive, or need to. be quarantined because they are in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.