Reopening Plan Update-September 2, 2020

Dear DCR1 Families,

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time which has proven difficult for everyone.  As a district we closely monitor the number of reported and active COVID-19 cases within our county.  These active and reported case numbers have begun a trend of increasing over time and it seems possible that the case numbers will continue to be higher in the coming weeks. 

The Dallas County R-I reopening plan has four separate reopening phases and we are currently in the yellow or the second least restrictive phase.  We need to make everyone aware that if our cases continue to rise in the coming weeks we will have to consider moving into the orange phase of our plan.  The orange phase is a hybrid academic model and has students whose primary guardian’s last name  is  A-K attending school on Monday and Tuesday and continuing their studies virtually or through an alternative method of instruction for extended time (AMI-X) Wednesday through Friday.  Those students whose primary guardian’s last name is L-Z  would be virtual or AMI-X on Monday through Wednesday and would attend school on Thursday and Friday. 

If we had to move to this phase, our plan is to give families several days up to a week's notice of this change; however, we would most likely notify families several days to a week in advance that we were going to close school completely for a day or two then begin the hybrid model following the closure.  The full closure would mean students would have a day or two of AMI-X and then start back with the hybrid model of Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday school attendance. 

We are very well aware this hybrid model would be very difficult on families and we are reluctant to go into this phase.  However, the health and safety of our students, staff, and community is of paramount importance to us.  We want to ensure that our families have adequate time to plan for this possible change of how we conduct school during this unprecedented time.  If we would make this change we would give as much time between these phases as is feasible, and we would be providing additional details regarding the orange phase.  Stay healthy and safe.

Tim Ryan, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools