GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT ISSUES NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER

April 1, 2020

SCHOOLS TO REMAIN CLOSED THROUGH MAY 4, 2020
 
In a press conference held yesterday afternoon, Governor Greg Abbott renewed and expanded the previous directive to minimize social gatherings and minimize contact with people who are not in the same household. “Social distancing is our best tool in the fight against COVID-19, and the actions we have taken thus far have proven to be effective in limiting the spread of this virus,” said Governor Abbott. “Now it is time to redouble our efforts to reduce further exposure as much as possible and flatten the curve.”
 
Included in this Executive Order, was a directive for schools to remain temporarily closed to in-person classroom attendance through May 4, 2020. SFDRCISD will remain strong in its commitment to support home-based instruction for our students at every grade level. In addition to the current services we provide, we will focus on efforts to expand our outreach to students who may not have the means to access technology or internet services. We will do this by:
 
1. Delivering notifications to every home where parents of students have not established a connection with their child’s case manager. This effort is to locate students who have not made contact with the school, and to quickly establish the alternative means in which they will receive their instructional packets and resources. (Parents of children who have not received their instructional packets must contact their child’s school as soon as possible).
 
2. Expanding opportunities for students to access free Wi-Fi service and borrow technology devices so that they, in turn, can access the District’s home-based instruction portal, complete their lessons and submit their work so that they can receive grades and/or credit for their coursework.
 
Coordinated efforts by our District’s Technology Department are already underway to establish hot-spots across our community so that students can access free internet services in the next few days. Because technology devices are limited, we will prioritize the distribution of the devices based on need (students who do not have access to a computer or laptop at home), the order in which the device reservation was made, and availability. Reservations and distribution of technology equipment will begin on Monday, April 6, 2020. Parents are encouraged to call the SFDRCISD Technology Helpdesk at (830) 778-4357 for more information.
 
Our Board of Trustees and SFDRCISD team would like to thank our parents for encouraging and supporting their students as they work to complete their Home Based Instruction assignments.
Together, we are better!