Fort Bend ISD parents create petition to continue virtual learning

Some Fort Bend Co. parents concerned about lack of options for school education amid COVID pandemic

FOX 26 Reporter Tiffany Justice spoke with some parents about what they're doing to make sure students have the choice to continue their education virtually or in-person.

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas - On Tuesday, Fort Bend County Judge, KP George raised the county’s Covid-19 risk level to orange, and according to the county’s health department, new cases and hospitalization numbers are going up. The new trend is putting parents on edge as a new school year looms.

"If having a vaccination is a choice, if wearing a mask is a choice, then give us a choice," said Zubin Balsara, Fort Bend ISD parent. "Give the choice to those parents who are really concerned about this."

Parents are becoming so concerned they have created an online petition, calling for the continuation of virtual learning.

"We are terrified as parents, this Delta Variant is worse for kids." Said Bri Sadhwani, Parent. "We are seeing more kids test positive and schools are starting at full capacity and without mask mandates."

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As of now, many school districts are not offering virtual learning for the 2021-22 school year. The majority of them leaning back on health guidelines, like social distancing and sanitization. Fort Bend ISD will begin class next Wednesday.

"We really have to do something," said Sadhwani. "Kids under the age of 12 don’t have access to a vaccine right now, so they are not protected that way."

In a statement from Fort Bend ISD, they tell FOX 26, "After the state legislature did not take action to provide funding for virtual classes for our most medically vulnerable students, the District no longer had the option of offering online learning."

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Zubin, who created the petitions tells FOX 26, parents should not have to choose between the health of their children and education. He says, parents from Katy, Houston, and Cy-Fair ISD plan on creating a similar petition.

Bri tells us, they have another petition for Governor Greg Abbott, in which they are asking for a universal mask mandate for school children grades, K-6th.

For more on that, click here.

For more on the Fort Bend ISD virtual learning petition, click here.