Starting with the first day of school on Tuesday, Sept, 8, all Duncanville ISD students will begin districtwide in the Virtual Learning program. Students – including those who committed to In-Person Learning during enrollment - will be virtual for the first four weeks of school. All students enrolled in prekindergarten through eighth grade will be in the Virtual Learning program. A limited number of Duncanville High School students, whose courses require in-person training and access to technology and equipment that can only be provided on campus, will participate in a hybrid model that will include both Virtual Learning and In-Person Learning.
Over the next month, the district will continue to evaluate the data related to COVID-19 to determine how to proceed in October at the conclusion of the first four weeks of school.
Safety First
During yesterday’s regular meeting of the Duncanville ISD Board of Trustees, district leaders provided an in-depth presentation of the school reopening plan and the steps we are taking to provide a healthy and safe environment for staff, students and our families. The trustees unanimously voted to begin the first four weeks of school with all students in the Virtual Learning program and utilize a hybrid model for Duncanville High School for a limited number of students.
Since the Virtual Learning program will be districtwide to start the year, students do not have to take additional steps after completing the enrollment process. All students, regardless of the in-person or virtual choice, will be participating in the Virtual Learning program between Sept. 8 and Oct. 2. The district will continue to evaluate the county and state data and guidelines to determine if the district will begin offering in-person classes starting Monday, Oct. 5 or ask the trustees to continue in a virtual model for an additional four weeks.
Technology Needs
Preparation for the start of school includes addressing the technology needs of students. This summer, the Duncanville ISD Board of Trustees approved $2.8 million to purchase new devices including iPads, Chromebooks, student and staff laptops, and hotspots. Over the past few months, the district has purchased almost 7,000 new devices. Due to the purchase demand from schools across the nation, not all of those devices will be here before the start of school. As new devices arrive, they will be deployed to students and staff in a timely fashion.
The majority of students have selected the Virtual Learning program. As part of the enrollment process, students who chose virtual notified the district if they needed a loaner laptop or Chromebook. Families that chose In-Person Learning will receive an email this week from the Technology Department to determine additional technology and internet access needs. Taking into consideration the new devices that have been purchased and loaner devices that have previously been distributed, the district will start by providing one laptop or Chromebook per household.
Distribution of Loaner Laptops and Internet Access
Starting September 1, the Technology Department will begin distributing the first deployment of loaner devices with a focus on initially providing one device per household. Students and their families will be notified by email and phone that they will receive a loaner device. To ensure you can be reached, all families should confirm that the email and phone number listed in Skyward Family Access is current. The accuracy of contact information is necessary for the district to be able to reach families.