Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees Approve Extension of School Opening to August 31 and Online Instruction
By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
The Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved to extend the school opening date from August 17, 2020 to August 31, 2020, a two-week extension, and changed in-person instruction to online instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic at a special meeting held on Monday, July 20, 2020.
Eagle Pass Independent School District Superintendent Samuel Mijares recommended these changes to the 2020-2021 school calendar with the students, teachers, and staff “best interests” in mind. Mijares stated that the students safety and health are the District’s priority.
EPISD Board President Jorge Barrera, Vice-President Hilda Martinez, and Superintendent Samuel Mijares met on Friday, July 17, 2020 with Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo, Eagle Pass Mayor Luis E. Sifuentes, and the Eagle Pass and Maverick County Emergency Operations Center and Local Health Authority representatives to discuss the health and safety of students, teachers, and staff in light of the surge of exponential growth of COVID-19 cases in Maverick County.
Superintendent Mijares advised the EPISD Board of Trustees that the Eagle Pass and Maverick County Emergency Operations Center and Local Health Authority were coordinating with all local governmental entities the status of the surging COVID-19 pandemic and would be issuing an Order to the Eagle Pass Independent School District requesting it to extend the opening school date to August 31, 2020 due to the health and safety of the students.
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo addressed the EPISD Board of Trustees to inform them of the Emergency Operations Center and Local Health Authority forthcoming Order to the school district to extend the school opening date.
Superintendent Mijares added that the EPISD calendar for teachers will remain the same with the new teachers reporting on August 3, 2020 and all other teachers on August 10, 2020. Mijares noted that the situation is so fluid due to the COVID-19 pandemic that he will announce any changes, if any, during the first week of August.
Mijares pointed out that the school board and himself will visit again with the Emergency Operations and Local Health Authority in August to assess the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the local school district and its students.
