Remote students barred from extracurriculars

During a Rosebud-Lott Independent School District meeting on Monday, July 27, the Board of Directors voted to not allow students receiving remote instruction to participate in extracurricular activities. This includes athletics, UIL, band, and activities of that nature. 

Students can participate in them upon reentry to in person learning. Students are allowed to switch between remote and on campus learning in six-week intervals, with the school year beginning on August 19.

The school day will take place from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, an additional 30 minutes from previous years. This is in lieu of changing the current calendar to add extra time for a coronavirus-related disruption. Adding the additional 30 minutes each day will amount to a full 11 days of instructional time. 

Students participating in remote instruction will receive asynchronous instruction, where pre-recorded videos will be available alongside learning initiatives. The Wisdom Learning Management System (LMS) will be used to track student progress, learning comprehension, and student engagement minutes. Reliable internet access is essential for this to work. The board voted to purchase hotspots to be placed around the community for those who do not have internet access at home. 

Students in sixth through twelfth grade will be expected to log 240 minutes of instructional time each day. Students in grades Pre-K through fifth grade must complete 180 minutes per day. All students should complete daily assignments as well, as activities will be monitored to track comprehension. 

All remote students will be held accountable to the same rigorous grading system as on campus learners, per Texas Education Agency guidelines. High school students’ grades will count towards both GPA and class ranking, even if taken remotely. There are certain CTE classes that will have to be attended in-person each day, especially if the course requires hands-on activities.

Students who choose to attend classes on campus will be subject to a number of new procedures.

“The situation seems to be changing frequently, but this is what I know, Rosebud-Lott ISD is committed to providing all of our students and staff with a quality education in a safe learning environment,” said superintendent James Rosebrock in a letter to district families. “Every precaution will be taken to ensure that all guidelines from the Texas Education Agency and our local health officials will be followed.”

For classrooms, desks will be placed following social distancing orders and each student will be issued an individual hand sanitizer to be used in and between classes. There will also be 32 stand alone automatic dispensers to be distributed strategically around each campus. 

In areas where students share equipment or cannot wear PPE, such as the gym, locker rooms, and CTE classrooms, sanitizing foggers will be used. Common areas such as restrooms, hallways, door handles, and shared desks will be cleaned frequently by custodial staff. 

Alternate lunchtime procedures will be followed as well. On the elementary school campus, there will be two grade levels at a time using the space and it will be thoroughly cleaned before allowing the next two grade levels in. Secondary students will have an A/B lunch period and will utilize the gymnasium for proper distancing procedures. 

Students will be required to wear masking going through the lunch line, as well as in hallways while switching classrooms. Students may be asked to wear them in classrooms where social distancing is not possible, but children in grades Pre-K through three are exempt from all mask requirements. There will be disposable masks available for students who need them. 

Masks will be required while on the school bus as well, with the expectancy that they will use their personal hand sanitizer as necessary. Buses will be sanitized after each route and drivers are subject to a mask requirement as well. 

All staff members are also required to wear masks and/or face shields when appropriate, including but not limited to teachers, administrators, and cafeteria workers. 

Both students and staff are asked to self-screen before school each day and are expected to stay home if they find themselves with any of the COVID-19 symptoms including but not limited to fever, fatigue, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, and difficulty breathing. Parents are asked to not send children to school if a fever is found, even if medicated. There are options for temporary remote instruction for students feeling ill. If symptoms are addressed on campus, students will be isolated and are expected to be picked up within one hour. 

There are a number of other subjects that were to be discussed at a meeting on August 3, with the Board of Directors having their students in mind. 

“They have been willing to provide financial support for necessary equipment and supplies to address the instructional and safety needs of our students and staff during this pandemic,” Rosebrock praised the board. “I am honored to serve on the same team with them as I witness their passion and desire to serve the students, families and staff of this district.”

There will be a parent meeting on Tuesday August 18 to discuss remote instruction. For more information or questions on the start of school procedures, parents are encouraged to call their respective principals or to go to rlisd.org.