Eagle Pass Independent School District Board Approves Extension of Remote/Online Instruction to October 23, 2020
By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
The Eagle Pass Independent School District (EPISD) Board of Trustees approved to extend the District’s remote/online instruction plan for an additional four weeks until October 23, 2020 at its regular meeting held on Tuesday, September 15, 2020.
EPISD Superintendent Samuel Mijares announced the Board’s approval to extend the remote/online instruction plan for District students until October 23 at a press conference held on Wednesday, September 16, 2020. Mijares noted that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) had authorized public school districts to provide remote/online instruction for the first four weeks of classes, but TEA has now authorized school districts to extend remote/online instruction for an additional four weeks until October 23.
Mijares added that TEA will review the current state of public education in Texas in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and announce on or before October 23 what new policies or procedures school districts will be allowed to take or implement after October 23.
Mijares also announced that EPISD students and parents may elect to take remote/online instruction for the remainder of the year under the District’s current policy to allow parents to select either in-person instruction or remote/online instruction.
Mijares noted that currently only four percent of EPISD students are taking in-person instruction at the 24 campuses while an overwhelming majority of 96% of students are taking remote/online instruction.
Mijares pointed out that over 500 EPISD students have not registered yet for the 2020-2021 school year, causing a significant financial loss to the District as the State of Texas pays the District for each student enrolled in classes on a daily basis. EPISD is aggressively attempting to communicate with the parents or family members of these students so that they enroll their children immediately. EPISD stands to lose up to $3.5 Million during the school year if these students do not enroll, which would be a huge loss to the District.
