AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin ISD will resume on-campus instruction as scheduled next week, district officials announced Thursday.
AISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde had been considering the possibility of switching to 100% virtual instruction following the winter break, based on the area's surging number of coronavirus cases.
The district says it will continue to offer remote instruction for families for the remainder of the year, including families who want to transition from on-campus to remote instruction.
Education Austin, the labor union for AISD employees, said in a statement that it was disappointed in Elizalde's decision. "We are extremely disappointed and object in the strongest terms to the superintendent’s decision to reopen schools next week. It is clear that these are abnormal, extraordinary times. All of us—our members, students, parents, and the community—want our schools open and a return to normal. But we also understand that safety is THE top priority, something that AISD is only willing to give lip service to. Our city is at Stage 5, currently looking at a shortage of ICU beds, and enforcing a curfew for restaurants and bars. Our employees are not getting prioritized for vaccines in time for reopening. This is no time for business as usual."
Elizalde said if a campus or facility has a surge in cases, the district can and will close specific portions of campuses or facilities as needed. COVID-19 rapid testing and other resources are available at every campus.
AISD will suspend all of its extracurricular activities with the exception of varsity sports. Austin Public Health officials have said extracurricular activities are one of their biggest concerns in terms of fighting the spread of COVID-19.
The district will have four days of asynchronous learning, based on an allowance from the Texas Education Agency. Those dates will be January 29, February 26, March 5, and April 9.