Dallas ISD Considering In-Person, Virtual, Hybrid Instruction Options

School districts across Texas are waiting on key decisions on school funding and COVID-19 guidelines from the Texas Education Agency before making final decisions on reopening schools, reports The Dallas Morning News.

Dallas ISD is waiting on direction from the state and haven’t solidified plans, yet. In the meantime, the district has created a first draft of safety and security guidelines for campus reentry, along with three different potential instructional models.

Some of the safety and security guidelines Dallas ISD will implement when in-person classes resume:

  • The district will provide each student with three reusable masks and will require students to wear them on the bus or building. Students will wear face shields in classrooms.
  • Plexiglass will be used to create dividers for cafeteria tables, as well as desks. This allows them to be placed closer than six feet while still providing barriers of protection.
  • Temperature checks will be required when boarding the bus or arriving to campus.
  • Portable hand sanitizer stations will be placed outside each classroom.
  • The district will also be changing dismissal patterns and creating one-way paths in hallways.

The district is considering three different instruction models that include: in-person instruction in schools starting on Aug. 17; remote learning; or a hybrid model between the two.

There are three hybrid model options to choose from, which include:

  • Half of students, probably divided by grade level, would attend in-person classes on Monday and Tuesdays, while the other half goes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Students would work remotely when not on campus.
  • Elementary students would use secondary campuses to spread out and utilize more space while secondary students work 100% remotely.   
  • Parents would decide whether they want students to work at home or remotely.

Students working remotely would have access to one-to-one devices and internet hotspots if they needed them. Online instruction would be regularly scheduled periods with teachers.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.