Prom, All Extra-Curricular Activities Cancelled
By V. Hugh Lewis II, publisher
NOTE: Due to technical issues the meeting could not be streamed live.
The Jefferson ISD School Board met in a rare emergency session tonight and decide to cease normal school operations and activities through April 3, 2020, to help ensure the health and safety of its students, faculty, and staff.
School Sanctioned Activities
Activities such as athletic and band practices, all UIL activities, and Prom are cancelled during the closure. Prom will be rescheduled towards the end of April, depending on how the COVID-19 virus pandemic situation develops.
JISD is on spring break this week and administrators and staff are using the week to plan how to resume instruction and delivery of breakfast and lunch to students during the time period.
JISD Technologist Jay Patrick encouraged parents who are not getting district communication via email or telephone calls, to call their child’s campus and update their information as soon as possible. The main number for the district is 903-665-2461.
Distance Learning
Curriculum Director Lynn Phillips demonstrated the Acellus system the school currently uses for instruction of some students. The Board voted to purchase additional licenses to cover all students so that distance learning can be implemented and JISD students continue their coursework.
Students will be able to connect via the internet to the system and have online instruction in their classes. Students without internet access or computers will be issued a hotspot and a chromebook to access the courses. Details on distribution are still being worked out. Teachers will be available and will follow-up with students via email, telephone, or regular mail for questions or clarifications.
The cost of the system will be an additional $30,400. However, TEA has indicated as long as the district strives and documents to continue instruction, funds from the state will continue to come and extra fees and costs will be refunded to the district by the state.
This system will allow the school to continue to pay teachers and staff during the closure.
Making Food Available
Currently all JISD students receive a free breakfast and lunch while they are at school. However Transportation Director Jack Smith is working on having the buses run their regular routes once a day to deliver a breakfast and lunch to students on those routes. Students who do not ride a bus, can come to a pickup location and receive their meals. The final details are still being worked out and will be distributed to parents as soon as possible.
Payroll
Faculty and Staff at JISD will continue to be paid during the campus closures, however their responsibilities and duties may change during the time period. Each Principal, along with Administration, will work with employees on the changes.
The vote was 6-0 in favor of the closure. Ned Fratangelo voted via teleconference and Kent Thigpen was absent.