texas schools reopening date

Tommy Beer Forbes Staff. Last week, Gov. In the meantime, some local health officials and school districts are working together to come up with plans to open safely and address the needs of their most vulnerable children. 2020-2021 calendars are being added as they become available. Some superintendents, especially in areas where the virus is rampant, balked at the idea of waiting for kids and teachers to get sick before shutting down their campuses in the middle of the year, instead of working with local health officials to close classrooms if cases spike again. Abbott said that barber shops and beauty salons could partially reopen, and more businesses soon thereafter. Jennifer Reynolds / The Galveston County Daily News, Dallas judge sentences hair salon owner to jail for violating the state's emergency order, Abbott eliminates jail time as a punishment for disobeying state COVID-19 orders, Texas salons, barber shops can reopen, Abbott says, overriding local closures, Jason Fochtman, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle, Phase 2: Capacity increased to 50 percent for restaurants, 25 percent for bars, child care centers and other businesses, Phase 3: More businesses open up to 50 percent capacity, Melissa Phillip, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle, Restaurants allowed to reopen indoor dining at 75 percent capacity, Marie D. De Jesús, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle, Michael Wyke, Contributor/Houston Chronicle, Elective surgeries halted in Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties, Galveston beaches close for Fourth of July weekend, Jon Shapley, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle, Abbott halts elective surgeries for most of the state, Authority to allow in-person instruction lies with local school districts, Houston-area COVID hospitalizations fall below key threshold for first time since May, Jon Shapley, Staff photographer/Houston Chronicle, Abbott loosens COVID restrictions on restaurants, businesses for most of Texas, Ricardo Brazziell / Austin American-Statesman, COVID-19 was spreading in Houston before the rodeo, records show, From the editor: New investigative series, “Exposed,” reveals governments’ failure to prepare for pandemic, barber shops and beauty salons could partially reopen, Texas saw its largest single-day increase in cases since the pandemic began, more than 5,000 newly reported COVID-19 cases, cease non-lifesaving or medically unnecessary surgeries, https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/galveston/article/galveston-beach-close-fourth-of-july-coronavirus-15380533.php, 100 counties are required to suspend surgeries, jointly issued by the governor, Lt. Gov. “They’re going to be the ones who are collecting the data and need to process it,” said Michael Chang, an infectious disease pediatrician at UTHealth’s McGovern Medical School and UT Physicians. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. They’ve run into some roadblocks with state guidance. Bars still were prohibited from reopening. Houston Chronicle staff and wire reports, compiled by Stephanie Lamm, Abbott establishes reopening Strike Force, Schools go virtual for rest of the school year, Mark Mulligan, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle, Yi-Chin Lee, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle. Share to … Gov. Show us with your support. For weeks, the back and forth over masks continued, with local officials asking the governor for the power to require them or to issue a statewide order mandating them. In a letter, jointly issued by the governor, Lt. Gov. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a guidance letter earlier this week stating local health authorities cannot issue orders that close schools to slow the spread of COVID-19. Some health experts say it makes sense for local health authorities, who will be responsible for quashing outbreaks on campuses, to have outsized say in how schools can reopen. On Monday, October 19, 2020, face-to-face instruction for students will begin. All students will begin the 2020-2021 school year virtually on September 8, 2020. They’ve offered a waiver opportunity … but it takes it out of the hands of the local school district beyond the eight weeks, and that is not local control,” said Kevin Brown, executive director of the Texas Association of School Administrators and former superintendent of Alamo Heights ISD in San Antonio. Under the direction of Governor Abbott, with the advice of the Lt. “What if, in some parts of the state, as we approach week eight, the public health situation is not good?” he said. “If they want me to issue an executive order, I can cut and paste what we’ve issued and sign it,” Abbott said, jokingly. Companies are permitted to reopen office buildings with up to 25 percent of their usual workforce. Abbott resisted the growing number of calls to issue a statewide mandate before announcing at the end of March that he would order one. And it seems like we ought to be working on them now instead of waiting on a crisis.”. Once El Paso ISD schools open for in-person instruction, parents will be able to choose among entirely in-person instruction, entirely virtual instruction, or a hybrid version of in-person two days and virtual three days. Eventually, one local official tried something new: Instead of requiring people to wear them, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff ordered businesses to mandate them. They’re also allowed to start the school year with in-person instruction, distance learning or a combination of both – but can do so for only up to eight weeks, Abbott said. Cabrera said he’ll roll out the plan to all the schools in his district, but TEA only allows that flexibility in limited circumstances, potentially putting Cabrera at odds with the state guidelines. The Texas Restaurant Association said that Texas restaurants lost a projected $4.2 billion in sales and nearly 700,000 jobs through the end of April, while the shutdown of the state’s 5,500 bars affected 75,000 jobs, with a loss of $630 million in revenue to the industry and $42 million in liquor taxes for the state. Elective surgeries were already suspended in Bexar, Cameron, Dallas, Harris, Hidalgo, Nueces, Travis and Webb counties. Citing a decreased "positivity rate" of COVID-19 cases across the state over the previous two weeks, Abbott eases restrictions for some already-opened businesses. By Scottie Andrew and Alicia Lee, CNN . And they’ll be based, in part, on what the Texas Education … Abbott extends public school closures through the end of the school year. 3. Governor Greg Abbott has issued several Executive Orders detailing the ongoing plan to open businesses and activities in Texas. Greg Abbott had to balance public health with economic recovery. Abbott said the pause will help the state focus on addressing the uptick in cases and hospitalizations. After Abbott’s statement last week, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo continued to urge schools to keep their classrooms closed. A mask order was hotly contested among conservatives and resisted by the governor himself for months. Others were districts that straddle multiple counties: Boerne ISD has two schools in Bexar County, home to San Antonio, a hot spot for the virus, but most are in more rural Kendall County, where COVID-19 transmission is low. Overview 1. Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. by Aliyya Swaby and Cassandra Pollock It’s still unclear whether local health officials will enforce their orders to delay school. Long-term care facilities are closed to visitors. The share of Houston-area ICU patients treated for COVID-19 falls below 15 percent for the first time since May 31, a key achievement that indicates the virus is slowly being brought under control here. “What’s driving my decision is requests from parents for social distancing. Following a record single-day increase of more than 5,000 newly reported COVID-19 cases in the state, Abbott pauses further phases of the state's reopening plan. TEA has provided guidance to ensure teachers, staff, and students remain healthy and are able to safely return to school for the 2020-2021 school year . Texas schools are allowed to offer in-person summer school. His statement backed nonbinding guidance from Attorney General Ken Paxton released earlier that week. Dan Patrick and chairs of the Legislature’s education committees, Abbott said school boards are allowed to push back the 2020-21 start date past September. Phase 1: Some businesses able to reopen at 25 percent capacity. And they want certainty that the state will support the decisions they make in order to keep students and staff safe as the pandemic continues beyond the first eight weeks of school. Teachers hold sit-in protest at Texas Capitol to demand changes on reopening schools Round Rock, Austin ISD among local districts suspending first three weeks of in-person classes The team, made up of medical experts and business leaders, includes Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, Kinder Foundation CEO Nancy Kinder and Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture. Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Updated at 6:42 p.m., July 28, 2020 with a statement from Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. Since then, he has repeatedly said he is trusting local school leaders to decide whether and how to bring students back to classrooms this fall. THE TEXAS TRIBUNE – Texas will give school districts more flexibility … Athletic directors of school districts in the county moved to start strength and conditioning training right away. “Nobody on our board, including myself and my administration, are medical doctors, so I’m going to try to take their advice.”. Businesses that had already lawfully reopened are allowed to continue to operate under state health protocols and limited occupancy levels. List of schools, start dates with links to COVID-19 guides (Source: pexels.com) By KLTV Digital Media Staff | August 4, 2020 at 3:32 PM CDT - Updated August 19 at 11:39 AM EAST TEXAS (KLTV/KTRE)-Students are heading back to school, in the classroom and through long-distance learning. And he said local health officials could shut down schools that have COVID-19 outbreaks after they reopen. Under the new proclamation, 100 counties are required to suspend surgeries that are not immediately medically necessary. Greg Abbott has said that school boards are welcome to consult public health authorities as they make decisions about reopening campuses. Abbott announces three-phase plan for reopening Texas. Thousands of people descend on Galveston on Saturday, the first weekend that beaches had been open in more than a month. Updated: 6:24 PM CDT July 14, 2020. “What ought to be the solutions? In light of new guidance from the Texas Education Agency, Houston-area school boards are considering changes to their calendars and operations. Other businesses allowed to operate include child care centers, bowling alleys, aquariums, zoos, youth camps and water parks. Shelley Luther continued to offer services despite the state's order closing all hair salons. Abbott orders nearly all Texans to begin wearing face masks in public, a measure meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. Sign up here. Schools reopening in Texas During the news conference, Abbott was asked if there was any update in when schools could reopen and Abbott said there would be an announcement on it this week. Gov. After about 18 local health authorities issued orders delaying in-person instruction because of coronavirus concerns, Abbott said last week that those health officials cannot issue blanket orders preventing all schools in their jurisdictions from opening classrooms before the academic year begins. A spokesperson for Abbott, when reached for comment for this story, referred to the governor’s previous statements on the issue. This timeline chronicles the road to reopening Texas. School districts across the greater Houston area are developing their back-to-school plans for this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. July 21, 2020 . Bars could open at 25 percent. In the midst of the unknowns of COVID-19 and guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on the requirements to reopen schools this fall, MISD's top priority has and always will be the safety and well-being of our students, families and staff. Open Texas checklists are now updated consistent with this order. The friction between Abbott and local officials has continued into this latest debate over the reopening of schools. Most local school districts will be offering both virtual and face-to-face learning options this fall in accordance with the Texas Education Agency’s latest guidelines. The frustration local leaders have voiced in recent weeks has been a nearly constant thread throughout the pandemic. And some still wondered: What options do they have if cases are still high after eight weeks? Virtual instruction for all students will continue for six weeks through Friday, October 16, 2020. The state's stay-at-home order is scheduled to expire. Reopening Plan. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. 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