Dallas County School Districts Ordered To Not Reopen For In-Person Classes Before Labor Day
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Schools in Dallas County will not reopen for in-person classes before Labor Day, according to an order by the Dallas County Health and Human Services.
In an order issued Thursday under Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) Director Dr. Philip Huang, all public, private, and charter schools may start the 2020-2021 school year before Tuesday, September 8 but only through virtual means.
"We feel that this is what's best for the safety of our children and staff in schools at the present time," Huang said.
However, teachers may conduct online classes from inside the school buildings as long as social distancing and sanitation guidelines are in place, according to the order.
The order said all school-sponsored events and activities such as sports, clubs and competition will not take place until after in-person instruction begins.
Several school districts in Dallas County such as Duncanville, Cedar Hill and DeSoto announced earlier Thursday that they intend to delay the start of the school year and will begin on Sept. 8.
Irving ISD said on Twitter it will begin its school year on August 17 with online-only learning. Dallas ISD said it would follow the DCHHS order and will be discussing its options at a special meeting on Thursday, July 23.
The order comes as the county continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases. There are currently 37,996 total cases in Dallas County.
The county continues to report more than 1,000 new cases per day.