After careful consideration of mobility, facilities and
employee availability, the CFISD Board of Trustees has supported our decision
to welcome students back to school
on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
Tuesday,
Sept. 5 will serve as the first day back to work for our employees.
We feel that reopening schools next week will allow our
students and families to return to as much of a normal life as possible. We
understand that this is not possible for some of our families, and CFISD is
here to provide support with resources such as our point of distribution (POD) and
other community
relief efforts.
If your family has been displaced and students are unable
to reach their campus of origin, information and frequently asked questions will
be posted as soon as they are available on the district website.
We understand that students’ basic necessities should not
be a concern during this difficult time. We are pleased that the USDA has
waived all free and reduced meal eligibility requirements through Sept. 30 so
students can enjoy free breakfast and lunch on our campuses. Parents are
encouraged to still complete the free and reduced application so their
students’ program enrollment can resume after the Sept. 30 date.
Our food service department is also opening additional
feeding centers as an extension of our summer feeding program beginning
tomorrow, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 4 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sites at Owens
(7939 Jackrabbit Road) and Holbrook (6402 Langfield Road) elementary schools
and Cypress Lakes High School (5750 Greenhouse Road) will offer free breakfast
and lunch for children 18 years and younger. Due to donations from vendors, we
can also provide free meals to adults accompanying children.
Hurricane Harvey and its destructive aftermath have
presented significant challenges for the CFISD community, but you have already
begun to prove that the challenges will not break your spirit. We look forward
to reopening our doors to students on Sept. 6.
~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.
As a mom of CFISD who was NOT displaced. I feel like the board did not have enough information from the surveys distributed to the employees to make a good choice as far as the first day of school was concerned. There was NO mention of teachers or employees who work at CFISD but reside in Katy etc. There was NO mention of the surrounding day cares that are open or closed. There was NO mention of CLUB REWIND. You simply didnt think in depth on so many issues. I understand no one was prepared for this devastation but further information should have been gathered and just wasnt. I very disappointed in the CFISD board and what we watched. Jackson and Covey - you did very very well. I commend you. The chief of staff was completely unprepared.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you!
DeleteThis is a stupid decision. What about the people who have been affected and are living in hotels and shelters? How is going to school away from the comfort of their home normal? You are totally disregarding your community. There is a reason why other districts are waiting till the 11th. Give people some time to find a permanent place to live or for some of the flood waters to recede. This is very unhealthy for the students and the staff. People are worried about family and their homes and now you want to take them to school so they can worry about that as well?! Students will suffer academically and socially. This is the worst decision you could've made.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I agree. I feel like they're rushing things. It's way too soon.
DeleteSometimes getting back to the normal, even in devastating circumstances is best, I'm sure the kids/students would love some interaction with their friends that they feel comfortable with.
DeleteChildren are resilient and thrive on routine, especially amid the chaos of devastation. Going to school will be hard for some, but it can also restore a sense of normalcy and something to look forward to. I'm sure teachers will be accommodating to the individual needs of the students in their classes. And they are offering extra meals for free. That all sounds pretty darn helpful to me.
ReplyDeleteYou cannot be serious! Think about high schoolers who lost all their clothes, think about when you were high school, How would you feel? People are worried about family, friends, and themselves and now school work.This is very insensitive.Most teachers are going through it themselves, How can they comfort the students?
DeletePulling from personal experience, it is good for kids to get back to school. At least for my kids. I know this due to a car hitting our house a few years ago. We gave our kids the option to go to school that week or not, and they all chose to go, and I think that they were better for it. They didn't have to watch us dealing with the aftermath of our house being halfway destroyed. They didn't have to deal with the media chasing us down. For my family, going to school really is the best option.
DeleteAny day picked would be too soon for many people. Gotta start at some point. A vast majority of staff/students can make it no reason to wait. There would still be plenty of post just like this even if they waited till the 11th
Delete10 days would still be better than 5.
DeleteWhy not postpone until October? That would give a gret deal of extra time!
DeleteAnd who will accommodate for the teachers that lost their cars and cannot even get a rental car to go to work or go buy food. Who will accommodate for those that have water damage and will need to have construction crew into their house while they are not there. The worst thing you can have is worried adults taking care of children. And I don't know you, but I don't want my kid in a bus with a sub bus driver the first day of school.
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ReplyDeleteWednesday is not enough time for all of these parents to get their children ready. They have no homes, no school clothes, especially for the Moore elementary students. Many attended the meet the teacher event and dropped their school supplies off at the school that day which is now gone. September 11th would have been a much more feasible date.
ReplyDeleteYou mean to tell me that while people are literally outside right now ripping out the inside of their homes you expect them to somehow over the weekend get out and get school clothes and supplies before Wednesday. This is ridiculous. I'm highly disappointed in cfisd right now. If nothing else, this particular area should have an exception made due to the devastation to the school and immediate area. Someone needs to go to the board to revisit this decision
ReplyDeleteWhat school supplies is needed on the first day of school?
DeletePeople are going to be out of their homes for more than just the first day of school. And time will come when supplies will needed. What will they do then? People are paying flood insurance or repairing their homes or simply waiting to be able to return home so they can start repairs. They wont have time or money for supplies.
DeleteAnyone who actually watched the live feed of the emergency meeting would know the amount of time, effort and information that went into making this decision. Those that were severely affected are going to be dealing with this for a while. Those that were not affected need to get back to normalcy as soon as possible in order to keep the city moving forward. After Hurricane Ike, there were entire neighborhoods without power for weeks, still school returned and life went on. It will be difficult but as long as we are attentive to the needs of the families affected and keep moving forward in a positive direction, soon everything will be better.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but I watched the live feed and it seemed like no time, effort, or proper research was put in. I dont know who it was exactly, but when asked specific questions, like the percentage of those who said who can't go, the board member did not know the answer and instead guessed. Plus, they didnt even touch other important issuses, like what day cares are open or closed in that area, or what is going to happen with Club Rewind. They have yet to found out how exactly they are going to transport students to their schools with roads blocked and with students in hotels and shelters. And yes, many people are recovering from the damage that Hurricane Harvey brought and yes, it will take some time before everyone is back on their feet. But no one is asking for all schools to halt until they recover; all we ask is for enough time to get things in order and make our situation a bit better for everyone. I'm not saying that the families who werent affected dont matter, but our complex situations should hold more weight, given the fact that we are the ones who are struggling.
DeletePoor selfish decision, stubborn CFISD Board members. Enjoy the publicity for the first school district to go back to school. Over 900+ people who participated in the survey said they could not make it to work safely. What was the point of doing a survey in the first place, when you have already set your mind to make money, and not to have empathetic thoughts for the students, and teachers? CFISD is beginning to shine through the cracks as a very money hungry district.
ReplyDeleteSelfish? Make money? This is a public school. What selfish things are gained by starting on the 6th? 900 out 9f 12000. Thousands of people are supposed to wait till everyone is ok before going back to life? If that's the case then why bother starting school at all this year.
DeleteNo one is saying to halt schools until everyone is ok, because it will be a long recovery and kids do need to start school. All we ask is to show some compassion for those affected. It seems like you and your family made it through the hurricane ok, but remeber that others did not. People have lost family members and their homes. We just want more time to sort things out for our kids and CFISD doesn't seem to care. Plus only 900 out of 1200 answered the survey and said they could not return to school. But there is still a large percentage that didnt answer the survey at all, probably because they were affected and did not have access to their email or phones. So that is not an accurate point.
DeleteYes it is about money, everyday a kid is sitting in that chair the school district gets money.
DeleteThis is ridiculous! Everyone is complaining while some people didn't even get water in their yards as much! And as for this "selfish decision", it is a bunch of bs. If you can't make it, don't! No one asked you in particularly to go.....
ReplyDeleteMany schools are in areas with no sewer service. i have no problem sending children to school but I don't think it is the best condition to send them into when they can't use the bathroom or risk sewage backing up into the schools.
DeleteSchool can't be cancelled forever. The recovery time for some families and neighborhoods could be weeks, months, even longer. No matter when they go back, things wont be "normal" so no sense in waiting for normal to return. The district better have a plan for those who cannot live up to district standards of preparedness though: dress code, school supplies, after school care. Thats what Im worried about, the district trying ti make everything "normal" again when its not. There needs to be school, but so much flexibility that the affected families can see it as a help not a hindrance.
ReplyDeleteAnd Julie if you had LISTENED, Moore elementary was the only one majorly damaged! All the others are fine, maybe a little leak or something.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is not that we didn't listen, is what wasn't said. They didn't mention that daycares are closed by my area, they didn't mention that teachers cannot get a rental car, and some cannot get gas without driving 10 miles, so they use their personal days if they can't go, that means they have to work when they or their kids are sick if they want to get payed. Some parents are so inconsiderate with their teachers, they just look at them like babysitters. I've enjoyed this time with my kids and don't mind having them an extra week.
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ReplyDeleteHow would it be "normal" for a student to walk into a class in which the homeroom teacher is missing because he/she has to take time off to work out some home devastation issues? Tell me the "normal" in that??? Especially when it is crucial for the teacher to be present on the first weeks of school in order to set procedures and classroom rules. Then if the teacher is not present the class then needs to be split into other classrooms or joined with another class which then creates stress for both student and teacher because of the high numbers in the class. It adds more stress and chaos to the students; tell me how is this "better" for the students?
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ReplyDeleteDo we know how many schools may be affected by failing sewer systems? My MUD has already issued a failed sewer notice and there is no clear date on when it can be addressed. What procedures are going to be put in place to ensure a HEALTHY environment for the kids?
ReplyDeleteAre you aware that where Wilson Elementary is located that the solid waste plant has been rendered inoperable and the area placed under warning for potential back up, etc. Not sure this is the best time to send students into a potentially very unhealthy situation.
ReplyDeleteTruitt and Horne are too! Has this been addressed??
DeleteFor everyone living on my street (and ours wasn't as bad as most in the neighborhood), the demolition process won't end until Tuesday or Wednesday. Some houses still aren't accessible with water in them. The actual rebuild won't be done until 2018. Nobody's asking for a month, but having only 1 week to tear your entire life out of your house, and get organized simply isn't enough time. Every other district in the area has pushed back one week.... also, yes the district does get paid by the state for the amount of kids in school. they lose money if they delay one week.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't get your children to school because of an act of nature, then you can't. I think if we continue to self regulate and do the best we can, that's all we're able. IF...YOU CAN... get your children to school safely AND they get 2 free meals a day for the entire month, think of all the time and stress that takes of over burdened families. Let the adults take care of the upheaval of current living situation and let schools do what they do best. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteCan you address the issue of no sewer? I live in the same MUD as Truitt and Horne. We have not had sewer services for 5 days now and have been told this is not getting fixed soon. How safe is it to have children in schools with no sewer? I know other schools are also without sewer.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking for information on this too! I live in 102 as well!
DeleteWhat about the kids who are displaces for months??? I lost my apartment they released us from my lease and i lossed job. How the hell am I supposed to get a new rental or car??? I get one more unemployment payment left. My son is in spring with my parents and im in tomball with another family member. How is he going to go to matzke?? Were homeless now. Anyone know???
ReplyDelete