AUSTIN, Texas — The first day of classes is coming up for students in our area. But going back to the classroom is off the table, at least right now.
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on in Texas, school systems have the flexibility to delay the start of their school year as they do in any year, but also they have the ability to start school slowly.
The Texas Education Agency will let school districts:
- hold classes remotely for the first four weeks
- request four more weeks if needed
- high schools can switch to a hybrid model
- all schools have to offer an in-person option for families that don't have access to internet or a computer
In Travis County, schools can't reopen before Sept. 8, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said that can't apply to religious private schools.
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Austin ISD
Austin ISD will start the school year on Sept. 8, with the first four weeks scheduled to be online. Starting in October, the district will begin phasing in students who elect to return to campus. Each school day will be 10 minutes longer than previously scheduled, and the school board also decided that the school year will end on June 3.
Classes are expected to be higher quality than what was offered online this spring. The district's current back-to-school plan can be viewed here.
Bastrop ISD
Bastrop ISD will start its school year with virtual instruction for all students for the first three weeks. The first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 18, and all-virtual instruction will continue through Sept. 8.
At first, Bastrop ISD said it would begin reopening campuses in stages on Sept. 7. As of July 30, beginning on Sept. 9, parents will have the choice to have their child continue with online instruction or have them transition to face-to-face instruction by attending school on campus each day. You can learn more about Bastrop ISD's back-to-school plan here.
Blanco ISD
Blanco ISD will start school on Aug. 24 with a mix of in-person and remote instruction.
Burnet CISD
School will begin for Burnet CISD on Aug. 20. The district intends to offer both remote and in-person instruction this school year.
Del Valle ISD
In Del Valle, the district intends to start its school year on Aug. 17, with 100% remote learning. The remote instruction will continue for at least eight weeks. Whenever in-person instruction does resume, Del Valle ISD has said it plans to continue offering an online option, within State guidelines.
Dime Box ISD
Dime Box ISD started virtually on Aug. 6 through Aug. 14 and will continue its four-day school week. Starting Aug. 18, students who wish to attend on-campus can do so.
"We hope this phase-in approach will help in case a student needs to be sent home for exposure or quarantine or in the unfortunate event the school is closed sometime in the fall," a spokesperson for the district said. "If any of those situations occur, all students would be prepared for the transition. There is no doubt this year is very different and, at this point, about 65% of the students are planning to attend school in person starting on Aug. 18. Our small size is an advantage in this situation since we normally are a district with about 165-175 students district-wide. Therefore following through with recommendations and guidance on health protocols are a little bit less intrusive to our normal operations, but there is no doubt this year will be very different."
Dripping Springs ISD
Dripping Springs ISD's first day of instruction is Aug. 18. The first four weeks the district will be solely in a remote learning format. Following that initial period, students can return to in-person learning or continue in remote format.
Eanes ISD
Eanes ISD will start the school year with 100% remote learning. According to KVUE's partners at the Austin American-Statesman, the district will allow most teachers and about 25% of students to return to school on Sept. 8. A resolution approved on Aug. 11 will delay more students from returning to campus until Oct. 13. The first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 19.
Elgin ISD
For Elgin ISD, the first four weeks will be online, then parents can choose between online and in-person learning. The first day of school is Aug. 24. In-person instruction will begin on Sept. 21 for students who have chosen that method.
Fayetteville ISD
Parents can choose between online and in-person learning. The first day of school will be Aug. 24.
Flatonia ISD
Parents can choose between online and in-person learning. The first day of school will be Aug. 19.
Florence ISD
Parents can choose between online and in-person learning. The first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 31.
Fredericksburg ISD
Fredericksburg ISD parents can choose between online and in-person learning. The first day of school will be Aug. 24.
Georgetown ISD
Georgetown ISD parents will have the option to choose face-to-face or remote learning. Parents are asked to complete their selection by Aug. 6, ahead of the first day of school on Aug. 20. Classes within Georgetown ISD will be fully remote before Sept. 10. Starting Sept. 10, students may either learn on campus or remotely.
Extracurricular activities will continue on schedule unless that changes due to upcoming UIL guidance.
Giddings ISD
Giddings ISD will start school on Aug. 31 with both face-to-face and remote instruction.
In order to avoid delaying the last day of school, the district said it would recommend to its board extending the school day by 15 minutes to add five more days to the calendar.
Granger ISD
Schools in Granger ISD will begin on Aug. 24, and parents will have the choice between on-campus and remote instruction.
Harmony Public Schools
Students at the seven Austin-area charter school campuses will start the academic year on Aug. 17 with online-only classes. Classes will continue online-only until at least Sept. 8. Parents will be surveyed whether to continue classes online-only or return for in-person learning after Labor Day.
Harper ISD
School will begin on Aug. 19 for Harper ISD students, and parents can choose between on-campus and remote instruction.
Hays CISD
Hays CISD pushed back the start of the year to Sept. 8, and the three weeks after that will all be online. The vast majority of students won't return to in-person learning until at least Sept. 28. When in-person classes start, the district is asking parents who are able to drive their students to school to do so, so that the district can maintain proper social distancing on the buses. Click here for more.
Hays CISD has moved its last day of school to May 28, 2021. Holidays will remain the same for the 2020-21 school year.
School days will be extended by 20 minutes for elementary, middle and high schools at Hays CISD.
Hutto ISD
Virtual learning will start on Aug. 18 for all students, and on-campus learning will start on Sept. 14 for those who choose on-campus learning. More information can be found at hipponation.org/coronavirus.
IDEA charter schools
IDEA charter schools will be 100% virtual to start the school year.
Johnson City ISD
Johnson City ISD's first day of school is Aug. 24. The district is planning to offer both in-person and remote instruction during the school year.
KIPP charter schools
KIPP charter schools will be 100% virtual starting on Aug. 24. In-person instruction will begin on Oct. 12 for those that choose that option.
Lago Vista ISD
Lago Vista ISD's first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 13. The district will start the year with remote online learning until Sept. 9. The district said its "intent is to provide face-to-face instruction beginning Wednesday, Sept. 9 for parents who choose that option."
Lake Travis ISD
All students in Lake Travis will start virtual classes Aug. 19. On Sept. 8, pre-K to fifth-grade students, sixth and ninth-grade students, special education students and children of Lake Travis ISD employees can return to campuses if that is the option their families selected. All other students who selected in-person learning will return to campuses on Sept. 21.
Leander ISD
Students in Leander will start virtual classes Aug. 13, with plans to start back in the classroom on Sept. 8 if a family chooses. On Aug. 20, the district said it will request four more weeks of virtual learning beyond Sept. 8.
Phase-in for families choosing in-person learning would start Sept. 8 and continue into October. The district is also suspending all in-person camps, activities for arts and athletics.
Liberty Hill ISD
Liberty Hill ISD's first day of school will be Aug. 27. Parents will have a choice between in-person and remote learning. Learn more here.
Llano ISD
Llano ISD intends to resume classes for face-to-face and remote instruction starting on Aug. 13.
Lockhart ISD
Lockhart ISD is recommending the first three weeks to be completely online. The first day of school will be Aug. 24 (pushed back three days). These changes will be recommended to the board of trustees on July 27.
Luling ISD
Luling ISD has moved the school start date to Aug. 17. All students will participate in online learning for the first four weeks of school. After that, the district will give students the option to decide whether to take instruction in-person or online. The district's plan is to offer on-campus learning starting on Sept. 14.
Manor ISD
Manor ISD will have its first day of school on Aug. 17. On Aug. 3, the board of trustees approved a four-week extension to keep the district in "virtual learning mode" through Oct. 12.
Manor ISD has said parents will eventually have two options for their students: they can choose the distance-only model with 100% distance learning for the school year, or they can choose the transitional model, where students start the school year with 100% distance learning and then, if conditions permit, begin attending school on campus after Oct. 12.
Marble Falls ISD
The first day of school in Marble Falls will be Aug. 19. Parents have the option to choose how their student receives instruction.
Pflugerville ISD
In Pflugerville, classes will begin on Aug 13. The district plans to start the school year with 100% virtual learning for the first three weeks. Once on-campus learning is permitted, students may either attend school on-campus or continue with virtual learning.
Round Rock ISD
In Round Rock, school starts Aug. 20. The district hopes to offer in-person classes starting three weeks after that and will give parents the choice.
San Marcos CISD
San Marcos CISD's first day of school will be Sept. 8, with students learning from home. Remote learning will continue for the first four weeks of school, with on-campus learning scheduled to start on Oct. 5.
Seguin ISD
Seguin ISD said it will continue to work closely with county, state and national authorities as it plans for the first day of school on Sept. 8. The district intends to offer both in-person and remote instruction.
Smithville ISD
Smithville ISD plans to conduct the first three weeks online. It issued this statement to the community:
"Given the current orders from the Health Authority of Bastrop County, the district is preparing for an all virtual school start. The first day of class will be August the 24th and the attached virtual plan will be utilized. I am aware that the situation continues to change and SISD administration is working to ensure that the education of the students and the health of all is a priority. The plan for an all virtual start has been posted and is ready for your review. If you have specific questions or concerns please call the campus principal next week. The campus staff continues to review the implementation process and protocols to be followed based on guidance from the Texas Education Agency and the Bastrop County Local Health Authority."
The district's first day of school is scheduled for Aug. 24.
Taylor ISD
Taylor ISD will start Aug. 20 with the first four weeks being virtual learning. Here is a look at the district's plan.
Texas School for the Deaf
The first three weeks of school at Texas School for the Deaf will be online.
The district said that when school begins on Aug. 17, every student will participate in an all-virtual learning environment for the first three weeks until Sept. 7. Beyond those three weeks, the current requirements are to provide students the option of receiving instruction either in-person on-campus or remote.
Thrall ISD
Thrall ISD's school year will begin on Aug. 10. The district is planning for a hybrid model of instruction, where students attend class in-person some days and learn remotely other days. The district's goal is that within three to eight weeks, "everyone will be back to school daily." Read more here.
Wayside Schools
Remote school instruction begins Aug. 12. Limited onsite operations will kick off on Sept. 8, with full operations for families who choose to return starting Oct. 19.
Wimberley ISD
Wimberley ISD will offer both in-person and remote instruction, with classes starting on Aug. 19.
This list will be updated as more information becomes available or plans change.
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