Fort Bend ISD to continue online instruction through end of school year

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas - Fort Bend ISD will continue online classes through the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

District Superintendent Dr. Charles Dupre made the announcement on Tuesday.

In a message to the FBISD community, Dupre announced that the District will not return to face-to-face classroom instruction this year.

Also, commencement exercises for the Class of 2020 will be postponed until July.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to make an announcement this week about school closures. 

MORE: Gov. Abbott closes Texas schools until May 4

Last month, the governor closed Texas schools until May 4, as part of an executive order.

RELATED: Texas declares public health disaster, closes restaurant dining rooms and schools

Read full message from Dr. Charles Dupre, FBISD Superintendent of Schools:
To our FBISD community,
I am writing to share plans for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. Following much consideration and discussions with our Board of Trustees, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current state-wide school closure in effect through at least May 4, Fort Bend ISD will not return to face-to-face classroom instruction this year. It has become clear that it will be in the best interest of our students and staff that Fort Bend ISD continue online classes through the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.
There are several factors we took into consideration, with safety and security being our top priority – we know that, even if Governor Abbott allows schools to reopen as of May 4, many families and staff members will be reluctant to return to school and work to avoid potential exposure to the virus. Additionally, because there are only three weeks remaining of instruction after May 4, we believe it will be even more disruptive to our students, staff and teachers to ask them to pivot back into our buildings and the traditional classroom environment.
We have built systems and structures to deliver learning online for the time being, and while we recognize this system is not perfect, we believe it will allow us to successfully complete the year while we focus on our planning for the reopening of school in August and re-strategizing to make up for any lost learning in the current year.
We have also announced that commencement exercises for the Class of 2020 will be postponed to July. We are in the process of scheduling dates at the Smart Financial Center, which will be announced in the very near future. High school campus principals will be sharing information about end of year events for seniors, including information about refunds for cancelled events.

For more information and updates related to Fort Bend ISD, please visit the FBISD website.