Katy School Trustees Defer Decision on Extending Katy Virtual Academy
By George Slaughter
Citing a lack of data and the time needed to process it, Katy school trustees deferred a decision on whether to extend the Katy Virtual Academy for the remainder of the fall semester.
Trustees will take up the measure at a special workshop set for next Monday.
The district reestablished the Katy Virtual Academy in August for kindergarten through sixth grade students. It was an option for families and students with concerns about student safety amidst the pandemic, no vaccine for students age 11 and under, and no mask mandate. The board reestablished the virtual learning option to run through Oct. 15.
The district encourages, but does not require, wearing of masks at schools or school events.
Leslie Haack, deputy superintendent, said Monday that the hope and intention was that a vaccine for students would be available, and students would return to in-person learning before the semester’s end. But things haven’t worked out that way and no children’s vaccine has been released for use.
Haack said the Katy Virtual Academy began with an enrollment of 4,191 students in August. But as of Monday, the enrollment has dropped 15% to 3,555 students. School board president Greg Schulte asked Haack why students were returning to in-person learning. Haack cited several reasons, including parents wanting to make sure that school stayed open, as well as concerns about not having a mask mandate.
Katy Virtual Academy enrollment has declined while overall district enrollment has grown. Haack said as of August 18, the first day of school, the district had 85,061 students enrolled. As of Monday, that number had increased 4% to 88,552. She said that figure was above projections.
The board first established the Katy Virtual Academy in the spring of 2020 when the pandemic took effect across Texas. The board voted to end the Katy Virtual Academy, effective June 1, with the intention that all students would return to pre-pandemic, in-person learning this fall. But the pandemic numbers failed to recede and the board reestablished the Katy Virtual Academy as an option.
Haack said Katy Virtual Academy students can return to in-person learning at their home campus upon request. Once they move back to in-person learning, however, they cannot return to virtual learning. She said a priority for the Katy Virtual Academy was to continue with a centralized online learning model to minimize the impact on campuses and in-person learning.
Trustee Rebecca Fox praised the district’s efforts to make things work in the online environment. However, she felt students learn best in a face-to-face environment.
“We want our families to bring the children back to school,” Fox said.
The decision to delay came after an intense, hour-long discussion. Trustee Dawn Champagne said she would like to see the board return to its former practice of meeting twice a month. Presently, the board meets once a month. She said meeting twice a month would help some trustees in the decision-making process.
Fox agreed.
“This is long, it’s intense, we’ve gotten a lot of information to assimilate and make a decision right now and I don’t know that I’m there,” Fox said.
Share this Entry
Business directory
Our Community Partners
Citing a lack of data and the time needed to process it, Katy school trustees deferred a decision on whether to extend the Katy Virtual Academy for the remainder of the fall semester.
Trustees will take up the measure at a special workshop set for next Monday.
The district reestablished the Katy Virtual Academy in August for kindergarten through sixth grade students. It was an option for families and students with concerns about student safety amidst the pandemic, no vaccine for students age 11 and under, and no mask mandate. The board reestablished the virtual learning option to run through Oct. 15.
The district encourages, but does not require, wearing of masks at schools or school events.
Leslie Haack, deputy superintendent, said Monday that the hope and intention was that a vaccine for students would be available, and students would return to in-person learning before the semester’s end. But things haven’t worked out that way and no children’s vaccine has been released for use.
Haack said the Katy Virtual Academy began with an enrollment of 4,191 students in August. But as of Monday, the enrollment has dropped 15% to 3,555 students. School board president Greg Schulte asked Haack why students were returning to in-person learning. Haack cited several reasons, including parents wanting to make sure that school stayed open, as well as concerns about not having a mask mandate.
Katy Virtual Academy enrollment has declined while overall district enrollment has grown. Haack said as of August 18, the first day of school, the district had 85,061 students enrolled. As of Monday, that number had increased 4% to 88,552. She said that figure was above projections.
The board first established the Katy Virtual Academy in the spring of 2020 when the pandemic took effect across Texas. The board voted to end the Katy Virtual Academy, effective June 1, with the intention that all students would return to pre-pandemic, in-person learning this fall. But the pandemic numbers failed to recede and the board reestablished the Katy Virtual Academy as an option.
Haack said Katy Virtual Academy students can return to in-person learning at their home campus upon request. Once they move back to in-person learning, however, they cannot return to virtual learning. She said a priority for the Katy Virtual Academy was to continue with a centralized online learning model to minimize the impact on campuses and in-person learning.
Trustee Rebecca Fox praised the district’s efforts to make things work in the online environment. However, she felt students learn best in a face-to-face environment.
“We want our families to bring the children back to school,” Fox said.
The decision to delay came after an intense, hour-long discussion. Trustee Dawn Champagne said she would like to see the board return to its former practice of meeting twice a month. Presently, the board meets once a month. She said meeting twice a month would help some trustees in the decision-making process.
Fox agreed.
“This is long, it’s intense, we’ve gotten a lot of information to assimilate and make a decision right now and I don’t know that I’m there,” Fox said.
