Gov. Abbott says Texas students to return to school campuses in fall

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas students will be returning to public schools in person this fall, Gov. Greg Abbott told state lawmakers on a call on Thursday.

The state's top education official later confirmed the plans, predicting Texas schools would be safe for students to return despite the current spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the state.

Parents who aren’t comfortable sending their kids back to school will be allowed to keep them home under Education Commissioner Mike Morath’s return-to-campus plan, which will be updated next week with more guidance for school districts on how it will work.

"It will be safe for Texas public school students, teachers, and staff to return to school campuses for in-person instruction this fall. But there will also be flexibility for families with health concerns so that their children can be educated remotely, if the parent so chooses," Morath said.

The state will not require students and teachers to wear masks, but districts will be able to make their own rules on face coverings, said Frank Ward, a spokesperson for the Texas Education Agency.

The Texas State Teachers Association cautioned against being too quick to reopen schools and said that any moves must consider the safety of teachers and staff. The TSTA wants daily symptom testing and a mask requirement for “everyone entering a school building.”

“We can’t be in too big a hurry to reopen schools. Despite what some political leaders would have us believe, we still are in the middle of a pandemic that is getting worse,” said TSTA spokesman Clay Robison. “We are not confident the governor and TEA have adequately prepared for this. But they don’t have to be in school buildings. Teachers and students do.”

Abbott has long said his intention is for students to return in-person this fall, saying this week that there will "definitely be higher safety standards in place than when they opened last year."

"I will tell you that my goal is to see students back in classrooms in seats interacting personally with teachers as well as other students," he told KLBK-TV in Lubbock earlier this week. "This is a very important environmental setting for both the students, for the teachers and for the parents.”

Abbott had ordered schools closed March 19, sending more than 5 million students into distance-learning programs to finish the spring semester and canceling standardized testing. Abbott allowed districts to hold in-person summer school courses with strict social distancing guidelines, but only a few have chosen to do so.

Since Memorial Day, Texas has set record highs in daily confirmed cases of Covid-19 and hospitalizations from the disease caused by the coronavirus. Thursday’s reported 2,947 hospitalizations set a new Texas high for the 11th time in 12 days. The state also has passed 3,000 new confirmed cases in a single day for the first time.

Abbott has pressed forward with reopening businesses and other public spaces for weeks, even as the number of new cases and people hospitalized with the virus has continued to rise. Democrats and officials in some of the state's biggest cities have raised alarm about the pace, saying it's putting people's health at risk.

"Abbott’s failed leadership has cost lives and has led to Texas becoming one of the most dangerous states to live in during this pandemic," said Texas Democratic Party Communications Director Abhi Rahman in a statement Thursday.

National surveys have shown many parents do not feel safe sending their students back to the classrooms, with one poll showing two-thirds in support of keeping schools closed until the pandemic's health risk has passed.

School districts' surveys of parents are showing that many students will stay home, even when the classrooms are open. That could pose a financial risk to districts, which receive state funding based on student attendance. Already, many districts are planning for hybrid programs, with some students learning virtually and some learning in person, allowing them to keep class sizes small.

This year, Texas used federal stimulus dollars to fund school districts through this year's mandated school closures, as long as they offered some type of remote education. But state officials have not yet said whether they will continue to fund them for students who do not show up in person in the fall.

With budget deadlines approaching at the end of the month, some districts are making tentative plans without clear state guidance. Fort Bend Independent School District announced earlier this week that its elementary and middle school students will return to their classrooms with adjusted schedules in the fall.

District officials are working to develop a plan for older students that combines virtual classes and classroom instruction. Online instruction will be an option for any student who doesn't feel safe returning to the classroom in mid-August.