Thursday, October 7, 2021

I have been monitoring COVID-19 cases in the school district and have seen a steady decrease in cases over the past couple of weeks. 

As such starting Monday, October 11, AISD will no longer require masks to be worn, and instead we will strongly encourage staff, students and visitors to wear masks. AISD will continue other Covid-mitigation measures that include no visitors and no large indoor gatherings without social distancing.

I am committed to making sure we provide a safe learning environment for our students and staff and will continue to make decisions with student and staff safety as our top priority.

Phil Edwards
Angleton ISD Superintendent

UPDATE -- Due to the hurricane, the deadline for signing up for the Angleton Virtual Academy will now be Friday, September 24. (See information below to apply.) Academy classes will now start October 4.

-----------

Angleton ISD is now accepting applications for the Angleton Virtual Academy (AVA), which is an online learning program for qualified students in grades 1-12.

Due to set restrictions from the state, the district can only allow 600 students into the virtual program, which limits 50 spots per grade level. Students must apply to be in the virtual academy, and district administrators will review applications to see if students qualify based on specific criteria.

Applications will be approved on a first-come-first-serve basis and are available at www.angletonisd.net/virtualapplication. The application process is open and will close on Wednesday, September 15.

The AVA is set to begin September 27.

AVA Student Enrollment Criteria:

• Enrolled in 1st-12th grade
• Live in the boundaries of Angleton ISD (priority will be given to currently enrolled AISD students)
• Scored at the “Approaches” grade level on each STAAR assessment taken last school year (or other AISD approved measure if they were unable to test)
• Scored at grade level on the end-of-year curriculum based assessment in each tested subject if the student did not take the STAAR exam last year (MAPS exam)
• No unexcused absences for more than ten percent of the total instructional days last school year
• Earned a 70 or above final grade in Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies last school year

AVA Model:

• This is not the same online model that students participated in last school year.
• Students will be placed with a specific AISD teacher assigned only to the virtual academy. That teacher will become the student’s point of contact throughout the year. (Students may not have their current in-person teacher.)
• Elementary students will receive approximately two hours of live instruction along with asynchronous assignments each day.
• Junior high and high school students will receive instruction through the Edgenuity platform, which allows students to work at their own pace to complete assignments.
• The district cannot guarantee that students in the AVA will be able to participate in afterschool and UIL activities and courses that require students to be present, in-person at school.
• Not all courses will be offered through the AVA. For example, students in grades 6-12 will be limited to courses offered in Edgenuity, which does not include Dual Credit courses or courses in electives like Welding.
• Before opting into the AVA, parents should make sure they understand what their child’s schedule will include and what their child may no longer have access to once a student of the academy.

AVA Student Requirements:

• Students must remain in good academic standing while in the virtual academy.
• Students must have good attendance and meet engagement expectations.
• Students will be required to participate in district and state assessments.
• Students will not be able to move back and forth from the virtual academy to in-person instruction.
• Students who choose to participate in the AVA will remain in the academy and do online learning through the semester, at which time they can formally ask to be removed from the academy.

At tonight’s special board meeting, the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees approved a resolution setting guidelines for the wearing of face coverings inside all AISD facilities. Parents will have the choice to opt their child out of wearing face coverings, and face coverings will not be required in outdoor settings.

The resolution states:

1. All students, staff, and visitors while indoors on AISD property, and while riding AISD buses, must wear face masks covering the nose and mouth;
2. Masks are not required while eating, or at other times specifically deemed reasonably appropriate by the campus principal or building administrator related to health and safety;
3. Individuals with religious or medical needs/disabilities that prohibit the wearing of masks, upon acceptable verification, are excused from this requirement;
4. The Superintendent may develop further protocols to allow for students’ parents to opt out of the mask requirement for their children;
5. The Superintendent shall review COVID-19 related conditions regularly and is authorized to determine the: (1) duration of the mask mandate, (2) cessation or modification of the mandate based on changed circumstances, and/or (3) reinstatement of the mask mandate if lifted.
6. This resolution must be re-authorized at the regular October 2021 meeting of the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees.

AISD will implement these guidelines beginning Monday, September 13. Masks and face coverings will be provided if needed.

If parents choose not to have their child wear a face covering, they will need to sign a waiver form and return it to their child’s school administrative offices. The waiver form will be available at 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Thursday, September 9. The waiver form may be found at district and campus administrative offices and on the AISD website at www.angletonisd.net.

“I am very proud of the AISD Board of Trustees for working together during this difficult time and through this decision,” Superintendent Phil Edwards said. “The board’s commitment to the students, staff and community of AISD is commendable. I fully support and recommend this resolution.”

Edwards also stated that he intends to use the authority granted to him by the board to make the best decision on wearing face coverings moving forward.

“Hopefully, we will see a decrease in cases very soon and will be able to return to a more normal educational setting,” Edwards said.

Starting Wednesday, September 8, Angleton ISD will offer a remote conference learning program for its students who are out due to COVID-19. This will only be available for students who have tested positive for or are quarantining due to COVID. The district may also utilize the remote conferencing option in situations where classes or grade levels will need to be closed due to COVID.

The program will follow the guidelines developed and mandated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). If students are not well enough to participate, the district does not expect them to complete the work under the remote conferencing program.

Also, based on new guidance from TEA, the school district may now require students to quarantine if they have been in close contact with a COVID-positive individual who lives in the same household.

Parents should contact their child’s campus administration with questions or for further information about the remote conference program.

Finally, the district is currently working on a possible virtual learning academy and is awaiting further guidance from the state. If the district can introduce a virtual learning academy option, the program will allow qualified students to work remotely; however, it will have specific criteria that students must meet before they are allowed to participate in the academy. The district will provide more information about the academy soon.

Update - All AISD Campus Closed Through End of Week

We have been closely monitoring COVID-19 data throughout the district, reviewing the data on a school-by-school basis. After close review, we have decided that ALL Angleton ISD campuses will close the remainder of the week and will reopen on Tuesday, September 7 for regular school hours. (Monday, September 6 is a school holiday.)

All AISD staff will report as normal to work tomorrow unless they have tested positive for COVID-19, been exposed to COVID-19, or have COVID-19 symptoms. This includes all Northside and Westside staff.

During this time, we ask parents/guardians whose children experience any of the below-mentioned symptoms to call their child’s campus and schedule a time to get tested for COVID. School nurses will be at every campus all week to test any student or staff member who would like to be tested for COVID.

Extracurricular activities at the high school and junior high campuses will continue as planned. Coaches and sponsors will communicate individually with their groups as needed.

As of now, we will not have to make up these school days, and students are not expected to work remotely.

All AISD administrative offices - district and campus - will be open. Parents/Guardians can call Central Administration or their child’s school administration while schools are closed.

Also, we will continue to clean and sanitize the campuses this week during the school closure.

We continue to ask the parents/guardians of students who have tested positive, are demonstrating COVID-related symptoms, or have been exposed to COVID to please call their child’s school anytime this week between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

We understand any inconvenience this may cause, but we will continue to work toward keeping our Wildcats safe and healthy.

COVID-19 Symptoms
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches without a reason
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea