Garland ISD

Garland ISD to Offer Parent-Led Virtual Learning Amid Growing COVID-19 Concerns

NBCUniversal, Inc.

Back-to-school is in full swing in North Texas, and it’s already come with confirmed COVID-19 cases.

As the pandemic continues and the virus evolves, school leaders are faced with tough decisions when it comes to the safety of students.

Wednesday, Garland ISD responded to growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 with an important update for parents. In a letter to families, the district acknowledged parents' worries over the spread of COVID-19 on its campuses, focusing particularly on elementary schools.

Starting August 23, the district will launch a parent-led temporary virtual learning (TVL) option for students in PreK through Sixth grade – emphasizing this is a short-term option.

The letter to parents reads in part:

“Parents will serve as the at-home teacher and will be fully responsible for monitoring and assuring their child’s learning.”

Garland ISD is currently reporting 629 active lab-confirmed student cases. That is roughly 1.17% of the district’s entire student population of some 53,700 students. They’re reporting 87 active lab-confirmed staff cases. Just 1.19% of all employees. The district says 256 all cases were diagnosed prior to the start of school this month.

Garland ISD gets its case count from the Garland Health Department, GISD staff and families who have notified the district of lab-confirmed positive test results. As of August 16, the City of Garland reported 1,671 active citywide cases.

The school district said it will provide parent-led virtual students with videos and activities posted to CANVAS – the district's online platform, and all TVL learning will be self-paced.

Enrollment for the TVL option begins August 19 and closes at 11:59pm August 20.

Contact Us