Texas schools are being compelled to reopen classrooms on the state's timetable, like it or not
Districts are compelled to have students back in classrooms after eight weeks of the school year's start.
Teachers, parents, school administrators and public health officials have been seeking clarity for weeks on how the state will approach reopening schools safely as coronavirus infections and deaths rise across Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott has not responded directly to questions from reporters about who has the authority to order schools closed in areas hard hit by the virus, and the Texas Education Agency has sent mixed messages on reopening guidelines.
But despite the lack of any formal announcement from the governor, the die was cast in in a rapid two-step process Tuesday. First, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released nonbinding legal guidance saying local public health officials do not have the power to preemptively require all schools in their jurisdictions to remain closed, even as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in many Texas hot spots.
Then, state education officials reversed an earlier decision by announcing they will not fund school districts that keep classrooms closed for longer than the state allows even if ordered to do so by a local health mandate. Taken together, the actions put school districts in the position of reopening classrooms on the state's timetable or losing funds and risking potential litigation.
Educators and families must once again rethink their back-to-school plans this fall. The education agency has given school districts up to eight weeks to limit the number of students permitted on their campuses, after which they must open classrooms to all students who want to attend.
That ninth week is looming large for superintendents who are not sure what the public health landscape will look like at that point. Now, they can't depend on their local health officials to give them more time, without losing money.
"Starting in the ninth week of our respective school years, regardless of the status of the virus in our CONTINUE READING: Texas schools are being compelled to reopen classrooms on the state's timetable, like it or not | Salon.com
