On July 14, Austin Public Health Interim Director Dr. Mark Escott ordered all school districts in Austin-Travis County to delay the reopening of campus face-to-face instruction until after Monday, September 7, 2020. This includes athletics and extracurricular activities. However, according to the order, remote instruction shall be permitted as per a school district’s own plans. As a result, LTISD will begin the 2020-2021 school year on Wednesday, August 19 with remote learning at home for all students.

Circumstances are changing rapidly. We are in the process of determining how this new order affects our plans and timeline to ask parents to commit to in-person or remote learning. More information will be forthcoming.

This is not a decision that was made by the LTISD Board or district administration. On Tuesday, July 7, 2020, The Texas Education Agency announced comprehensive guidelines for the 2020-21 school year and published the SY 20-23 Public Health Guidance document. The TEA guidelines contain a number of requirements. Three requirements are worth noting. First, Texas public school districts must open their school buildings this fall for in-person instruction. Second, we are required to offer a full day, five day a week traditional school day option. Third, we may not limit the number of students who choose to attend in-person. Local school boards and superintendents may not choose, independently or locally, to open with a 100% remote learning option for students. As a result, LTISD has determined that two options will be available to students this next year:  in-person learning (full day, five days a week), and remote learning. Another consideration was to offer a third option that included some type of alternating day or week option. However, the TEA guidelines provide for a possible loss of funding for school districts that do not provide on-campus instruction every day or if students must be on a part-time schedule to limit the number of students in a classroom at one time. In addition, this option was less favorable for much of our staff and our community as it posed additional challenges for scheduling, childcare, etc. 

We are in the process of considering many different safeguards and precautions to mitigate the spread of illness within our schools. We will follow TEA requirements and strive to do so in a way that will keep our students and staff as safe as possible.

Students and families now have the choice of reporting each day to an LTISD campus or participate in remote learning from home.  As employees of a Texas public school district, that choice cannot logistically be made available to everyone.  There may be options for a number of positions to work from home.  Priority for remote teaching will be given to employees with health conditions vulnerable to COVID-19.

Given these requirements from TEA, one of our goals is to establish an in-person learning environment that is as safe as possible for our staff and students.  The LTISD Human Resources department will survey classroom teachers beginning Monday, July 13 regarding your request to teach in-person or remotely.  For the purposes of classroom staffing, this survey is being sent only to classroom teachers and not all district employees. Many of the non-teaching positions must be on-site to complete their essential job responsibilities. Employees who need to request accommodations, should speak with their supervisor and contact Evalene Murphy, Assistant Superintendent of HR to discuss their individual situations.

Parents will receive a commitment form via email with instructions on how to choose for each child in their family. The due dates will be communicated at that time. According to the Texas Education Agency, parents will have until two weeks before the first day of school to change their minds about placement. Parents will receive a direct email explaining this process and timeline.

LTISD investigated multiple options, including models such as half-time in-person and half-time remote. Many factors were examined, including whether or not half-time attendance actually limits exposure, the logistics for families and for classroom teachers, and the evolving guidelines from the Texas Education Agency. The administration ruled it out due to a number of implementation issues. There were too many apparent challenges, including childcare for parents and staff, bus transportation scheduling, cleaning protocols, academic scheduling, and others. We cannot offer an option that poses so many obstacles for families and staff. Ultimately, it was a model we do not think we can effectively deliver; therefore, a hybrid model was removed from consideration. We determined that providing two choices so that families can make the best personal decision was the best option.

Yes. There will be defined opportunities built into the school year where changes can be made to the educational setting. While the district is asking you to make a decision during the summer regarding how your child will start the new school year, please know that we understand that you are having to make this decision based on the current situation with COVID-19 and with potentially changing information. Parents will have until at least two weeks before the first day of school to change their minds about placement.

After the school year begins, a parent who chooses remote instruction for their child and later wants to switch to in-person instruction may do so at the end of a grading period. A parent who chooses in-person instruction for their child and later wants to switch to remote instruction may do so at any time.

Please note that if a student switches between in-person learning and remote learning, then that student may not have the same teacher(s) or course schedule, as teachers may or may not be teaching both a remote and an in-person class.

Each family must consider their unique situation to make a personal determination. We are providing as much information as is known at the time so families can make informed decisions

We will be able to provide instruction to all students in whichever format their families choose. We will also comply with all mandates regarding social distancing, as well as health and hygiene protocols.

In July, LTISD will ask each parent to choose either the in-person option or remote learning option. If parents select the in-person option, LTISD will schedule your student into the course requests made earlier in the year, to the extent reasonably possible. If you select the remote option, that process will be communicated at a later date depending on secondary course availability and options. 

While LTISD understands that many questions remain regarding the new school year and that family sentiments may change as COVID-19 conditions evolve, timely feedback is critical to LTISD in preparing for the first day of school on August 19. The District must have data to work with when planning for master schedules, classroom space, remote learning and how we can best meet the social-emotional needs of our students when they return. The District wants to provide all staff with the strongest foundation possible to prepare for the needs of all students.

Counselors are available to support students academically, socially, and emotionally and can provide mental health support or resources for families who may be struggling emotionally. Contact information for your student’s LTISD counselor and local mental health resources can be found on the District website. To ensure staff is equipped to address social/emotional and mental health concerns, LTISD Counseling Services will continue to host training opportunities for all staff including trauma-informed care, mental health first aid, and social emotional learning.

All LTISD students will be taught by LTISD teachers. If a remote learning student switches to in-person, they may not have the same teachers, as teachers may or may not be teaching both a remote and in-person class. Remote courses will be taught by LTISD teachers but not necessarily a teacher from your student’s home campus.

No. The current LTISD calendar is accurate and will stand for the 2020-21 academic year. The 2020-21 academic calendar can be found here.

No. According to TEA guidelines, the grading policies for remote learning must be consistent with the District’s grading policies for in-person learning. Regardless of which learning option you choose for your child, the expectations for coursework and the grading system will be the same for both in-person and remote learning. LTISD believes this is the most fair and equitable solution for all of our students. Applicable courses in 9th-12th grade will be included in calculating GPA and class rank for both in-person and remote learning students.

Overall progress on learning outcomes will be communicated in a “traditional” format. Assignments and grades will be entered into Skyward. The expectations for coursework and guidelines for grading for in-person learning and remote learning will be the same.