Important Announcements from Tioga ISD - September 30, 2020
Tioga ISD will be suspending optional/voluntary virtual learning in all grade levels as of October 16. On Monday, October 19 all TISD students will be back for in-person learning at each campus. Exceptions to this new rule are as follows: 1. Students who test positive for Covid-19 2. Students who are mandated to quarantine by a medical provider or the school nurse. 3. Students with underlying health issues with the appropriate documentation from a medical provider stating that at-home learning is necessary. 4. Students that live in the same household with an immediate family member who has a compromised immune system or are medically fragile, confirmed by the TISD health office. The TISD Asynchronous Learning Model will still be available for these four reasons. State mandated attendance rules will be followed. Student learning from home for any other reason not listed above will not be available for any day of the year past October 16.
Reasons for the change are numerous. Students that are virtually learning are disproportionately failing as compared to those that are learning in-person. Staff members are working during the school day with in-person learners and then until late at night with their virtual learners. We have not yet finished the first grading period and to expect this from our teachers until the end of May is not reasonable, even though it is in their nature to want every student to succeed. Covid-19 cases can be managed and controlled with continual communication from home to school. The basis of our virtual learning environment was established in the first four weeks of school and therefore, students will be prepared to learn at home if that learning environment is necessary throughout the year.
Current virtual learning students can choose one of the following: 1. Attend in-person learning. 2. Withdraw to a Home School Program. 3. Enroll in a different school. 4. If a current Tioga transfer student, return to the home district.
In coordination with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), all Tioga ISD students have been eating free breakfast and lunch for the last few weeks of in-person school. Unfortunately, and despite continual work with the TDA and our Regional Education Service Center, Tioga has been denied the opportunity to continue serving free lunch to all of our students. When free lunches were advertised to families a few weeks ago, the rules for qualifying for the program were different than what they ended up being changed to less than a week later. Tioga was going to receive reimbursement from the state for the free meals we have served so far and those we were going to continue to serve for all students. This option is no longer available for our district because we do not have a school that qualifies for the program based on the newest rules of the program.
Our intention is to continue feeding all of our students a free breakfast each morning to all who want it, despite not receiving a monetary reimbursement from the state. Free breakfast will continue for the rest of the school year. However, free lunches for everyone will end on Wednesday, October 7. Students who have qualified for the free/reduced school lunch program will continue to receive lunch at a discounted or free rate. If you have completed the online application, there is no need to complete another one unless your income or household structure has changed in the last few weeks. The application is still open to those families that have not completed it for this school year. Families have to qualify for the program each school year and a new application needs to be completed in order for that to happen. You can access the application on our website by finding the Parents/Students heading and then click on Cafeteria Information.
You can pay for lunches by sending cash/check with your student and giving that to the homeroom teacher or office. One sibling may carry the money for all other siblings, but please put a note with the money that states how the funds need to be divided. You may also use the “My School Bucks” on the homepage of our website to pay for lunches. The school lunch price for all grades is $3.00 per meal. Students are welcome to bring their own lunch from home. However, we will continue to restrict “dropping off” any kind of outside food or drink at either campus. Therefore, food/drink/snacks that are brought from home need to enter the building with the student when they arrive each morning.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. As always, feel free to ask for clarification from any administrator.
