ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — Classes in the Ector County Independent School District are looking a little different this summer.
The first session of summer school has already kicked off for 3,500 students and it's completely virtual.
But come July, some students will be going back to the classroom in person.
“We know we're going to take the temperature of students, one way entrances, we need to think about how they move through the school," Dr. Scott Muri, ECISD superintendent said. "We’ll also be looking at lunch and how we're going to serve lunch in classrooms."
July will be the first time in four months students will return to an actual classroom.
“We’re excited to welcome them back in July, but we’re excited to see how things actually work with kids." Muri said. "Preparing for a much, much bigger opening this fall, so July is a good opportunity for us to test those procedures.”
While the district is ready to be back in person next month, they are preparing for more virtual learning this fall.
“I would encourage all parents, especially those with middle school or high school students to prepare for your kids spending one, two, three days of a week at home," Muri said. "Our focus is going to be on our elementary kids rather than with our secondary kids.”
The district has created 17 design teams of administrators, principals, teachers, parents and some students to create the detailed plans for going to back to school. The committees are working on every aspect of the school day like: busing, arriving at school, going to class, changing classes, eating breakfast and lunch, reacting to positive cases of COVID-19, cleaning and disinfecting, communication and more.
“Do not anticipate that your kids will be in school 5 days a week," Muri said.
"We’re not building plans that would anticipate that reality.”
To clarify, ECISD will be open 5 days a week, students just may not be on campus all five days of the week.
They may rotate or only come in a few days. Those details are being discussed now.
The superintendent adds ECISD families will need to be flexible in all plans because he anticipates regulations are going to change.
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