Texas Border Business
Mission, Texas – During an emergency meeting of the Mission Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees today, the members unanimously approved a resolution for the protection of students, families, and educators threatened by the dangers of the COVID-19 epidemic. The resolution addresses many aspects of the ongoing pandemic and its impact on the community and health services in the region. It also addresses several concerns, with four specific actionable items:
- That the Board of Trustees will take all actions within its power to protect the Students, Families, Employees, and Community Members of the Mission Consolidated Independent School District from exposure to COVID-19;
- That the Board of Trustees authorizes the Superintendent without further action of the Board of Trustees to petition state and local authorities to act to protect the Students, Families, Employees, and Community Members of the Mission Consolidated Independent School District from exposure to COVID-19;
- That the District will support the efforts of Hidalgo County to restore the County’s legal authority to act to protect the health and safety of the Students, Families, Employees, and Community Members of the Mission Consolidated Independent School District; and
- That the Board of Trustees authorizes the Superintendent to request that the County impose whatever facility occupancy restrictions it deems necessary to protect the health and safety of District Students and Staff while still permitting the District to provide in-person educational services to the children of essential workers and to children with special needs recognized under federal law.
“We support the attempts of our state leaders in their desire to continue with instruction. However, we feel there is a lack of flexibility to address local conditions in how we provide for instruction, and the wellbeing of students and staff is not appropriately available to our county judge or local leaders,” explained Dr. Carol G. Perez, superintendent. “We, as a team of eight were becoming increasingly concerned about this issue, even before the spike in reported cases yesterday. The administration has been working closely with the board to address the community and staff concerns that surround a return to school.”
Dr. Perez said the board hopes that the resolution passed today will show the support of the district in giving the Hidalgo County Judge more authority to address local concerns. The board and administration also feels strongly that the best option would be to provide at-home/virtual instruction for all students, while supporting essential workers through allowing for in-person instruction for their children, if needed; as well as children with special needs recognized under federal law.
“We know that our teachers want to return to school, but they also have many concerns about their own health and safety and that of their students,” Dr. Perez said. “We will continue to support that as much as possible during these challenging times.”
Dr. Perez said the district is continuing to work on implementing instructional options currently available to the district based upon the most recent Texas Education Agency guidance. At this time, parents will have the option of in-person instruction or at-home virtual instruction. She added that the district will be making Chromebooks and other devices available to all district students to help bridge the digital divide faced by many families. In the coming weeks, families will have the ability to update their preferences and more information about the final implementation of instructional/operational plans will be provided to families and the community as soon as they are finalized.
