Governor Abbot made an executive order that all schools in Texas will remain closed until atleast May 4, 2020.
School Closure Being Extended Through April 3rd
Given the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19, Latexo ISD will extend the suspension of normal district operations through Friday, April 3rd in an effort support our nation’s need to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Our health officials report that cases are continuing to spread in the state. Suspending operations for this length of time will allow us to determine, in coordination with local health officials, whether the virus is continuing to have community spread or whether it has been contained. We are coordinating with other school districts in the county and will make any decisions on whether there is a need to extend the suspension further.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has outlined the need for all communities to implement a social distancing protocol. We want to reiterate a request to our broader community to take the following reasonable precautions to prevent the spread of the illness:
- Don’t shake hands
- Wash your hands regularly
- Limit movement within the community, especially avoiding crowded placed and maintaining 3 to 6 ft of distance between people (at least an arm’s length)
- If you are moving around in the community, don’t congregate in large groups
- For those who have traveled to areas with known COVID-19 cases – both inside and outside of the country – we ask that you self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms. Students who have traveled should plan to stay home for two weeks after arriving home. Please contact your campus to let them know, and this will be considered an excused absence.
- If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your health care provider for medical advice .
- Keep your child at home if he/she feels ill, even if you think it is just a cold.
- Do not leave the house if you are ill, except to access medical care
This is a quickly changing situation, and we will continue to monitor information, will assess conditions throughout the week, and will provide the next update by April 1st via our website and email.
Thank you for your support and cooperation as we ensure that all members of the community in Latexo ISD stay safe and healthy.
Michael Woodard
Superintendent Latexo ISD
First of all, we want to let you know STARR and EOC testing has been cancelled, all UIL events are postponed until March 30 and SAT tests have been cancelled. We won't know anything about AP tests until March 20. At this time we do not know how long we will be closed. We will send out updates as they come available.
Second, we want to thank you for your patience and understanding while we have been working out a plan. Realizing the importance to continue educating our students, our teachers are currently working on getting their curriculum online and plan to pick up with “online school” this Thursday. We will use Google Classroom to deliver instruction. Students need to sign in everyday as this will account for attendance as well (We will be able to document who logs in and when).
We will do everything possible to help you with any concerns or problems you have following this plan. Please reach out to us!
Here is the plan we have in place at the moment:
Students need to keep an eye on their school email, all communication will come from their teacher and/or Google Classroom. Our primary modes of communication with parents will be Facebook and text messaging.
We realize students may have trouble with their computer from time to time. The first thing they need to do is restart their computer. This usually resolves most problems. If the problem persists, they need to let their teacher know or call the office.
ELEMENTARY CAMPUS:
All students will need to check Classroom as well as their school email addresses for any communication from their teacher. Pre-K will be going online as well and all information will come through the classtag app.
Elementary students may pick up their computer from the elementary school to do their school work at home. If you have multiple students, please call the admin office and let us know who you have and when you are coming and we will try to have all the chromebooks ready for you to pick up in one trip.
Below is the schedule to pick up your child’s chromebook at the elementary:
Thursday
9-11am - 1st grade
12-2pm - Kindergarten and 4th grade
Friday
9-11am - 3rd grade
12-2pm - 2nd grade and anyone else
JR HIGH/HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS:
All students will continue to receive their assignments via Google Classroom. Progress reports are available on parent portal as per Mrs. Watson. Several students are failing at this moment, therefore all students need to be completing their assignments online. They will be able to email their teachers with any questions they have about their assignments. We still plan to give grades for the 5th six weeks, which is March 31st.
They have been added to the single sign-on solution our elementary campus has been using (Classlink) for accessing their online curriculum. To get to Classlink, they need to go to our Useful Links page on our school website and click on CLASSLINK above the symbaloo. Click on “Sign in with Google” and log in with their school email address. Once logged in they will see icons for any online curriculum they may need for their classes.
You will be able to call the office from 8am-3pm Monday-Friday with any questions or concerns.
One team, one dream!
We will be offering curbside meals available for pick up in front of the high school campus Tuesday through Friday (March 17-20) during 11-12:30. Please stay in your vehicle. Please call the campus office if there are any concerns.
Latexo ISD feels it is in the best interest of our students and community to lean on the side of caution and take action to help prevent the onset and spread of COVID-19. Given the ongoing global concerns, we want to do our part to keep our students and community safe. We also encourage everyone to be conscientious in following CDC guidelines for staying healthy.
In doing so, Latexo ISD has made the following decisions:
-Spring Break for students will be extended through March 20.
-Faculty will report to school March 17.
We will do our best to keep all changes moving forward implemented on a weekly basis. We are continuously watching developments and carefully considering all TEA and CDC recommendations in dealing with this unfortunate matter.
We ask that you try to understand how difficult it is to make these decisions and request your patience as we seek to make the best decisions possible to keep everyone in our community healthy and safe.
4-Day Instructional Week Most Asked Questions
Latexo ISD
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When will the school day begin and end?
a. Elementary will start at 7:50am and end at 4:10pm.
b. Junior HIgh/High School will start at 7:55am and end at 4:15pm. -
When will the school year begin and end?
a. The school year will begin August 10 and end May 27. -
What day of the week will we be out?
a. Fridays work best with dual credit/college scheduling. -
Would the amount of work days differ for employees?
a. Yes. Employees currently are required to work 187 days, this would require employees to work less days with amending district policy. -
How is the district able to help kids that do not have a place to be?
a. Plans are being considered to help parents who are unable to find child care with a possible teacher rotation work schedule. -
How many days will students go to school?
a. Students will be required to attend 156 days equaling 78,000 minutes. -
What are the reasons for this change?
a. One reason to move to a 4-day instructional week is to help recruit and retain high quality certified teachers.
b. We feel this would help give us a competitive edge in hiring employees. We have found that other schools that have 4-day instructional weeks are able to fill all positions with high quality teachers, aides, bus drivers, etc.
c. By being able to hire and retain the highest quality teachers and support staff, we feel the quality of our instruction and student success will increase.
d. We feel that a 4-day instructional week will attract more students to our district.
e. We are also making this change to keep student and staff morale high.
f. We feel that having off one day a week will help with attendance rates of students and staff alike.
Latexo ISD is continually listening to our stakeholder’s needs and thoughts that you have for our district. We strive each day to make our district the best around and are very proud of our students, staff, and community. Below is a list of our goals we work toward each day.
1. Meet the academic needs of all students.
2. Provide facilities that will enhance a positive learning environment.
3. Continue to ensure a safe and secure environment for all District students, staff, and visitors; and ensure the school district is prepared to effectively respond to all emergencies.
4. Improve communication among all stakeholders utilizing a variety of media to maximize awareness and support of the District’s goals, objectives and programs.
We are asking for your input and thoughts to implementing a 4-day instructional week for next year. We are only seeking information at this time to see if this is something our district and community can benefit from. Please click on the survey below and give us your thoughts as we look to prepare next year’s calendar. We value the input of our students, parents, and staff members when considering changes to our district.
Thanks!!!
Michael Woodard, Superintendent
Latexo ISD
