The next school year is just over a month away, so what will it look like?

As Llano families prepare for whatever comes next, two moms expressed their concerns about their children’s return to school during a worldwide pandemic.

This week, the Llano Independent School District is expected to reveal some details about how the next school year will look.

Many districts across the state are modeling their plans on recommendations released on July 7 by the Texas Education Agency, which oversees public education in the Lone Star State.

TEA recommendations

According to the TEA, the guidelines are “prioritizing their health and safety while ensuring that students receive quality instruction, whether they choose to learn in a safe on-campus environment or remotely.”

Folks will need to stay flexible.

“Due to the nature of this pandemic, parents and educators should expect to see some campuses close for brief periods during the upcoming school year,” according to the TEA. “If there are significant changes to the public health situation, there may need to be additional changes to the framework as well.”

One positive outcome is that parents will have a lot of say-so.

Most fundamentally, the TEA envisions parents deciding whether they want their child on campus full time or if remote learning works well for their family.

“Parents who choose remote instruction for their students may be asked to commit to remote instruction for a full grading period (6 or 9 weeks), but will not have to make that commitment more than two weeks in advance, so they can make a decision based on the latest public health information,” the TEA recommendations state.

Folks can expect to see many changes on Texas public school campuses, including various screening methods, wearing masks or other personal protective equipment and steps taken to ensure social distancing as much as possible.

Moms’ concerns

Returning to school can be an emotional time of transition for families; this year, COVID-19 is casting a shadow but moms always manage to see the bright side.

“I’m not sure what to expect, but I hope for the best,” said Shaden Allen, whose son is going into first grade at LISD.

She feels pulled in different directions.

“I have a newborn on the way, so I’m super-iffy about him going back,” she said. “But Aeries does better academically in a public school atmosphere than at home.”

Allen thinks that part-time options are a compromise that district leadership should consider.

“That sounds amazing,” she said. “With the unknowns of COVID-19, I like the idea of being able to keep my son home as long as I think it’s needed, but without negative effects on his attendance record.”

Another Llano mom also is feeling like she’s in a game of tug-o-war, especially with three school-age kids, but she agreed with Allen that part-time would work well for her family.

“So far the district’s plan is to offer both classroom and distance learning, which is a fabulous idea, especially for parents who have challenges with online learning,” said Jessica Graham.

But COVID-19 comes with a host of unknowns, as both moms pointed out: would kids wear their masks; how well does disinfectant work; will kids’ desks still be 6 feet apart by the end of the day; would it be helpful to have more lessons outside?

“I know how easily sickness can spread in any group atmosphere, but especially with children,” Allen said. “What worries me most is it doesn't fully matter how safe you are. If others don’t practice safety and keep an eye on their health and their child's health then this can spread like wildfire in the schools.”

Graham said she’s learned a lot during her time as a homeschool mom.

“I think the only reason we were able to get any work turned in was because of how vigilantly their teachers worked to organize the work and transition them over to online learning,” she said.

“I’m strongly considering sending my kids’ teachers wine gift cards for dealing with my girls day in and day out! I can’t imagine what it’s been like for parents without the ability or resources for only online learning.”

Graham said it’s all about waiting and seeing right now.

“Wait and see if the numbers go down by decision time; wait and see what regulations the school will enact; and wait and see how the year may turn out. Things are constantly changing this year so I suppose we’ll see,” she said. “Like all moms, I just want things to go back to normal, without all the fear, and for children to have the education they deserve.”

Even if moms carry the weight of the world’s worries on their shoulders, kids are raring to go.

“The children know what’s going on but the girls are more focused on finally getting out of the house and seeing their friends, not their safety and how all these regulations will affect their learning environment,” Graham said.

For more information, visit TEA’s Coronavirus website: tea.texas.gov/coronavirus.