Dear Coahoma ISD Parents,
We are excited for the start of a new school year, and as we prepare for 2020-21, we do so with the health and safety of our students and staff as our top priority. With that in mind, CISD will provide high quality education through the following instructional delivery models:
In-Person Learning (traditional classroom experience)
At-Home Learning (remote online learning experience -- for secondary students, this may include some optional, on-campus experiences)
Parents or guardians will be asked to commit to one of these two learning options prior to July 30th. As we know that situations and circumstances may continue to change through August, parents can contact the school to change their preference up to August 5th. Once the school year begins, students will remain in that learning environment and can request to transition at the end of each 9 weeks grading period.
Please take time to read through our Back-to-School Plan. For many of you, your greatest hope is a sense of normalcy for your kids, and we hope that you will find that in this plan. Kids will be back in action, attending their different courses, and participating in all of their extracurricular activities. For many of you, your greatest concern is that we are taking the situation seriously, and we hope that this plan reflects that as well. We have examined every aspect of school, including arrival, restrooms, meals, supplies and dismissal, all with the goal of reducing numbers where possible and adding extra safeguards that would bring safety without completely changing your child’s school experience. We have created this plan based on recommendations from the CDC, guidelines from the State - both the Commissioner of TEA and the Governor, and the desires of staff and parents gathered from our surveys. We have developed a plan that is both reflective of the overall desires of our staff and parents and is responsive to the state of COVID-19 in our school. As we continue to receive updated guidance, our plan will continue to evolve
In terms of safety from COVID-19, the safest place for anyone is in their home, and we have made this option available to you through the At-Home remote learning model. We have worked to make remote learning as viable as possible by allowing students to participate in extracurricular programs and take advanced courses from home. While the Back-to-School safety plan has plenty of health and safety measures, I also want to inform you that in our current plan, we are not set up to be socially distant or ensure that students will not have close contact throughout the day.
Regarding face masks, we will follow state and local orders. As of now, everyone over the age of 10 is required to wear a face covering. If the Governor's Order ceases, the decision will be reflective of the data specific to Coahoma. We have developed a multi-stage approach and specific health and safety measures will be added or removed based on the data specific to our community. Regardless of the requirements, we will highly encourage face coverings by everyone on our campuses. Not only is this an effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19, it is also the best way to have an uninterrupted school experience. One of our state guidelines is that everyone who comes into close contact (within 6 feet for 15+ minutes without wearing a face covering) with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate for 14 days. The best measure for us to stay in school is for all on-campus participants and staff to wear a face covering.
This is the link to submit your Commitment Form for the 2020-21 school year. Please have one parent or guardian submit a Commitment Form for each student in your family. If your student will not be returning to Coahoma ISD, we would ask that you please note that on the form. This form is due by Thursday, July 30th.
While there may be uncertainty about what the next few weeks will bring, there is confidence that the staff of Coahoma ISD is ready to meet each and every students’ needs - in person, on a computer, in a classroom, and on a field or court.
Brad Cox
Coahoma ISD Superintendent
To download a printable version of this letter, click here: https://5il.co/il86