Duncanville ISD Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith recently participated in a virtual town hall hosted by Duncanville City Council Member Mark D. Cooks to discuss the School Reopening Plan. Dr. Smith shared details about the district’s plan to provide In-Person Learning and Virtual Learning programs for students. The event closed with Dr. Smith responding to questions from attendees. Due to the time, there were some questions that the host was unable to ask, but Dr. Smith told the group he would make sure the questions were answered and posted to the district website. Those questions and responses are listed below. Additional information is also available in the School Reopening Plan, which can be found at DuncanvilleISD.org/Reopening.
Will there be the option for parents to choose virtual learning if they cannot register online before the deadline to commit to In-Person Learning or Virtual Learning? For new students transferring to the district after the year starts, will they be offered the choice to go virtual as well?
The deadline for parents to commit to In-Person or Virtual has been extended to Friday, Aug. 14. If a student enrolls in the district after that deadline, the student will automatically be enrolled in the In-Person Learning model. If they would prefer Virtual Learning, it will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Will there be more Professional Development that be offered via Zoom or recorded for teachers so they can limit the time they are gathered in large groups?
Yes. The district will offer a combination of training sessions that utilize social distancing, virtual trainings and recorded lessons in an effort to reduce large gatherings. The Curriculum & Instruction Department has modified much of the start of the year training to be virtual where possible.
How soon will we be notified if someone on our campus test positive? Will we lose days if we have to quarantine?
We have developed a detailed process for self-reporting and notifications regarding employees and students who test positive for COVID-19 and those who are potentially impacted. In addition to daily screenings, employees and students are asked to self-report if they test positive for COVID-19. That starts a process of confirming that positive test, performing contract tracing to identify who may have been impacted and notifying those individuals. All of that happens simultaneously between multiple departments so it can happen as quickly as possible. To review the flow chart of the notification process, you can view it here on the School Reopening Plan.
Will in-person students have the option to temporarily transition to online learning if they need to self-quarantine after the first day of school?
Yes. Any student or staff who are not able to be on campus due to quarantine or testing positive to COVID-19 will be able to continue teaching and learning in a virtual setting if they are able to do so.
Will those students who are in distance learning that are in sports or activities, such as choir, still have interaction with their team or organization?
Yes. Students who select the Virtual Learning program are able to participate in UIL activities as long as they meet all UIL requirements, are enrolled in the extracurricular course and able to attend campus practices and competitions. However, students will have to provide their own transportation to practices and rehearsals. Information on this topic will be updated in the School Reopening Plan here in Extracurricular Programs & Events.