Dear Parents, It is hard to believe that it is already November, and the first semester will end in a few weeks. We began this unique school year with all students engaged in Remote Instruction, and during this semester, students have transitioned back to campus for Face-to-Face Instruction while some have remained remote. Currently, 78% of our students are back on campus and engaging in instruction with their teachers in the classrooms. At our campuses, on our school buses, and at district activities, we are carefully implementing our health and safety protocol, and we are taking action quickly when students and staff need to be quarantined because of COVID. Each week, the positivity rates within the district are posted on our COVID-19 dashboard located on the district website. The first semester will end on December 18, and if your student is a Remote Instruction learner, it is now time to prepare for the second semester.

  For the fall semester, we offered Remote Instruction and Face-to-Face Instruction for our students. Some of our students have been very successful with Remote Instruction, and others have not. Also, offering both options has added considerably to the instructional load of many of our teachers, and it has been challenging for many of our parents. When the second semester begins on January 5th, Face-to-Face Instruction will be the primary means of educating students within our district. Any parent wanting their student to remain a Remote Instruction learner will need to submit an application. We fully understand that we have students with medical conditions that make them highly at-risk, and we understand that we have students who live in a household with a person who has a medical condition that makes returning to a school setting unsafe. We will also consider students remaining as Remote Instruction learners who are engaging in online instruction, demonstrating academic progress and meeting attendance requirements. After submitting a Remote Instruction application, a conference with you will be scheduled by the campus administrator to review current progress, engagement, and attendance. Following the conference, a final decision will be made for the second semester. If you want your student to remain a Remote Instruction learner, complete the Remote Instruction application as soon as possible. The application can be found in Skyward, and instructions for accessing the application are posted on the district website. Please be aware that as more students return to school, Remote Instruction teachers could change and instructional content may be more independent. The deadline to complete the application for 2nd semester Remote Instruction is Monday, November 30. We request that you complete and submit the application as soon as possible so that conferences can be scheduled and decisions can be made. COVID continues to present schools and families with many challenges, and we sincerely appreciate your partnership and involvement as we strive to meet the needs of students and provide high quality learning experiences.??If you have questions, please contact your child’s principal or use the Just Ask feature on our district website. Sincerely, Carla Voelkel DISD Superintendent

Instructions for completing the application

Instructions for completing the application (Spanish)

Change in Remote Instruction Letter (English)

Change in Remote Instruction Letter (Spanish)

Medical Certification for COVID-19 High Risk Exemption