FORT STOCKTON, Texas — Fort Stockton ISD students are getting back to school-or rather, logging back into class.
Students are logging in two weeks earlier than usual. The big reason for that is the district wants to work out all the kinks that come with virtual learning.
About 75% of students at Fort Stock High School are doing virtual learning with Google classroom.
"Our high school is reporting just over 100 students," said Roy Alvarado, Fort Stockton ISD principal. "That's just over 25% of our total body population."
As for the other campuses in the district like the elementary and middle schools, they are seeing about a third of students in person.
"It's been a challenge to have school in a traditional setting when so many things have been taken away from you, but the real challenge has been you know helping those learn remotely and then those who need to be in person we have an obligation with them as well,"Alvarado said.
For those who do come to school in person, Fort Stockton ISD has put in place strict guidelines.
Everyone must wear a mask, put on hand sanitizer routinely, have their temperature taken, and spread out in the classroom. They have also separated where students can enter the building to avoid overcrowding. As for lockers? Well those are a thing of the past.
"We have the hand washing stations, we have the cleaning supplies in a classroom, our custodians are working non stop wiping down everything," Alvarado said.
Teachers at the school are working overtime to make learning possible in all shapes and forms, too.
"They are teaching to those on campus and also preparing part of that instruction and posting it to Google classroom," Alvarado said.
It's a task, the principal says, that the district's teachers are up to.
Another safety feature Fort Stockton ISD has implemented has nothing to do COVID, but has to do with preventing school shootings.
Every high school student here has to have a clear backpack.