District Communication on Update on Planning for Fall 2021

The topic of virtual for the fall semester next year was discussed last night during the called Board meeting on the budget. I hope everyone reading this will take the time to watch the video.

Medically Fragile is a SPED term defined by TEA, so I think we need to be careful about using terms correctly. For those that have chronic and serious illnesses or injuries we already have Homebound services. The definition and the services already available to this group of students is on the Round Rock ISD website. Parents should look under the A-Z directory, under H for Homebound services.

There is not enough data on the number of students or families that may have chronic health issues or be immunocompromised and who may need a virtual option in the fall. And we don’t have a definition, as far as I know, as a district for which chronic health issues medically need virtual. That would be a medical professional, Brandy Hafner, question to answer.

I don’t want us to put so much pressure on our new superintendent to be a miracle worker and be able to come into the district in the middle of summer and expect him to be able to come up with a virtual option. That is not a fair position to put anyone in as they start a new job.

I also don’t want this discussion to get everyone or anyone’s hopes up too high. We do have fund balance, but we are also moving back into recapture. So even though we will get ESSR funds from the federal government, the state will be taking almost an identical amount in recapture.

I think there is a desire on the part of the Board, after last night’s discussion, to do all we can to help our families. And the survey that will go out on Monday will be very helpful to that discussion. But again, a survey is not a promise; it is to inform a discussion between the Board and the administration. The discussion will happen on June 10th.

Again, please go back and watch the meeting from last night for more details.

Here is my understanding (or misunderstanding) and assumptions (or blanket statements):

1. We are not losing revenue by providing a virtual option for families in need. If they do not register in the fall, we will lose the revenue anyway.
2. My conservative estimate is that every kid can be fully vaccinated by December. But the families may return in-person early and we will capture revenue partially for the school year. With no virtual option, we will lose the entire year of funding or more if the families permanently leave RRISD.
3. If the COVID situation goes south again (though unlikely at the moment), the district needs a back-up plan for the coming winter.
4. Infrastructure cost to provide the virtual option is low. For one thing, the number of students we are looking at may be small (no parents like to put a young child in front of computer screen to learn if there are other options). For another, though Schoology may cost money next year, there are robust free/low-cost quality solutions out there, e.g. Google classroom.
5. For staffing, if a certain campus loses a large percent of student bodies, we will be over-staffing anyway. There are teachers who are good at and like to teach online. And if there is no TEA rule to follow, the synchronous and asynchronous time can be flexible.

We need to work with the health apartment, health professionals and community leaders to help families to assess risks and address concerns. Don’t shut the door, find windows to open instead. There are short term solutions such as if there are a large percent of students at certain campuses willing to wear masks, we can create cohorts as a safety bubble. Long term investment such as better air filtering systems also benefits everyone: fresh air is always a good thing.

The above is for age 12 and below. The administration may already be working on all of those. I am overstepping as a trustee here. If that’s the case, better communication and transparency may help in the future.

For our secondary schools, I see the value of a long term investment in establishing an online academy. Public education is going to be different before and after COVID. We can revert to what we are comfortable with and familiar with or have the courage to try something new. Online learning is driven by innovations. COVID causes disruption, and so comes opportunities. RRISD is at no disadvantage compared to other school districts or institutions who established online learning years ago; the landscape of online learning 5 years ago looks entirely different. Our online offering can very well complement our existing programs (e.g. class too small to hold). We know what we had before COVID does not serve every family in the district.

We can apply for a TEA permit. If there is a will, there’s a way. I understand, though, that I might be in the minority. The administration and the board are at an uncertain time. I respect different opinions and professional advice and will support any decision the board makes.

A better world is built on hope. I don’t flatter people. We are lucky to have you as the president, Mrs Weir, truly.