Reopening Schools

DISD Superintendent: “Highly doubtful” of return to regular school days in August

• By Yvonne Marquez
• 05/04/20

Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa talked about the district’s preliminary plans for classes in the fall, reports a local TV station.

Hinojosa stated he’s “highly doubtful” of a return to “business as usual” when it comes to reopening schools in August, especially since coronavirus cases continue to increase and Texas has not fully reopened.

Hinojosa laid out several possibilities for the future. One plan would involve what DISD is currently doing, which is to hold all classes online. Another possibility would involve a “blended learning opportunity,” which depends on recommendations and guidelines from state and health officials.  

“A lot of it depends on exactly where the state has us, where the health officials have us, where the governor has us. That will be determined as which version of C we have to actually execute,” Hinojosa said in a conference.

Some of the factors the district might have to prepare for are having screening and personal protection equipment available to students.

“If the PPE is in place and you have 150,000 students then how in the world are you going to execute that? How are you going to have the supplies available? And when are they going to be delivered? So there a lot of things we have to worry about,” Hinojosa said.

Other factors the district must address are transportation and the possibility for periodic closures.

The superintendent said he and other district officials may have a better idea of what plans will look like within the next couple of weeks.