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Austin ISD will suspend in-person education and deliver virtual instruction for the first three weeks of the upcoming school year, which begins Aug. 18, according to a July 14 announcement.
"The health and safety of our students and staff are at the forefront of all of our decisions," it reads.
Given our public health conditions in Travis County, Austin ISD will suspend in-person education and deliver virtua… https://t.co/czFPMVAMFT— Austin ISD (@Austin ISD)1594765169.0
Austin ISD follows other school districts—including Round Rock ISD and San Antonio ISD—in instituting a three-week delay.
Eanes ISD Superintendent Dr. Tom Leonard and Board President Jennifer Champagne sent a letter to state officials today to "strongly advocate" for the suspension of in-person school until the seven-day moving average of daily new COVID-19 hospital admissions is five or fewer. It was 69.6 as of the latest update on Monday evening.
Board President Jennifer Champagne and @EanesSupt sent a letter to state officials today asking for local control… https://t.co/SN4jZwnC7e— Eanes ISD (@Eanes ISD)1594761203.0
Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott recommended a three-week delay earlier today during a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting.
"The schools need time, they need time to plan, they need time to orient their faculty and staff to the new realities," he said.
Although the COVID-19 case fatality rate among children is much lower than for other age groups, there is still a risk of loss of life.
Dr. Escott said Travis County could see between 40 and 1,370 deaths across its five public school districts, which serve 192,000 students, if in-person teaching resumes.
Teachers and other staff are at a much higher risk of contracting and dying from the virus, Dr. Escott said.
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Popular
On Barton Springs and S. Lamar, workers dug deep to fix the issue in the road this week. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
As Austin's "icepocalypse" melts into the rearview mirror, though day-to-day life has mostly resumed, the city has a long, arduous recovery process ahead. It seems as though no area was immune to the damage inflicted by the historic winter storm.
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Emojis Grilled Cheese Bar owner Hope Green.
After the devastating blow of the pandemic, Emojis Grilled Cheese Bar owner Hope Green saw a surge in sales last summer. The outpouring of community support for Black-owned businesses came in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice. But for Emojis the support has been fleeting.
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Pearl Lantana Apartments is one of many apartment complexes around town without running water due to plumbing issues. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
The last night Stephanie Landgraf, 25, spent in her apartment, off of Rundberg Lane, was on Valentine's Day. First, her power went off, only to return shortly after the complex lost water. Since then, she's been staying with friends. "There's no end in sight," she told Austonia. "At this point, I'm just angry."
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