EPISD to reopen campuses for select group of students next week
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Independent School District will be opening up all of its campuses to a select group of students next Monday.
The district announced Tuesday that it had identified priority populations of students that will be allowed to return to "learning pods" at schools. However, they will still be taking classes online.
The majority of students will remain at home, learning remotely.
Face-to-face instruction will resume once the coronavirus hospitalization rate dips to below 15% in El Paso.
“We know people are nervous about coming back into our schools, and we want everyone to know we have spent a lot of time and energy making our campuses safe and appropriate for learning during these uncertain times,” Superintendent Juan Cabrera said in a news release.
The district will allow students with excessive absences and failing grades in two or more of the core subjects (math, science social studies and English) back on campus, as well as students with "extenuating circumstances.
As ABC-7 previously reported, local superintendents along with the Texas Education Agency agreed to a reopening plan that was based on the hospitalization rate in the region.
The plan mandates that school campuses must be reopened for priority populations. Districts were allowed to determine which students encompass the "priority population" designation.
Currently, El Paso County is in the "Red Zone" since the coronavirus hospitalization rate is at 42%
The district is creating "learning pods" for these students. It will allow the students to be on campus while continuing to learn remotely.
Families whose students are considered to be part of the priority population can still opt to have their children learn remotely from home.
EPISD's campuses have been closed since the start of the semester. Students whose parents opted to have them learn remotely all semester will continue to learn from home.
