Some students in Dallas ISD returned to class in-person Monday for the first time since March. Families could choose in-person learning or stay with online classes.
Monday, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa welcomed students at Junkins Elementary.
"It's great to be back in school. We're going to keep learning, and things are going to get better, but until they get better, we're just going to have to be careful how we handle everything," he said.
Hinojsa says about 53% of families chose in-person learning. The rest will stay online.
At Junkins Elementary, Principal Oscar Spurlock III says teachers spent all summer learning how to balance in-person classes while still helping kids who are learning online.
"We definitely had to do a lot of professional development and training with our teachers," he says. "We used a lot of our teacher-leaders. Some of our teachers have been doing this for a while, even before the pandemic hit."
Students' temperatures are taken before they get on the bus. Their temperatures are also taken when they arrive at school, and six foot markers are placed where kids would stand in lines. Masks are also required on buses and in school.
"It's all new. She's been ready; I've been ready, but we're still kind of cautious and concerned," says April Greer, who was dropping off her daughter for first grade.
A teacher at Cochran Elementary in Oak Cliff died after testing positive for COVID-19. Hinjosa says the district must remain prepared to "pivot" in case new cases, hospitalizations or the rate of tests coming back positive increase.
"When we have a teacher pass away, that shook me to my core," Hinojosa says. "You understand why there's fear, but at the same time, we've got to keep living, and we've got to have these students, they're falling further behind. We've got to make sure we take all precautions."
