Local school district wants students back on campus this summer

While everyone is talking about graduation, the Copperas Cove ISD held a board meeting on Monday to discuss summer school and the possibilities in the schedule for the next academic year.

“We have some serious concerns doing virtual learning with the students,” said Superintendent Joe Burns.

“What we anticipate is that they have not been successful and that, thus far, they need some more concentrated focus instruction in a very small group."

With the desire to not use virtual learning, the district is proposing to the city and Coryell County to have students return to classrooms this summer.

The district is proposing to allow students to attend lectures in classrooms, but classes would be limited from six to eight students.

“We can have them practicing social distancing and sanitation,” he said.

“We need to get those kids to a point where they can have some direct instruction.”

There’s no timeline for when the county or city might make a decision on the proposal.

Among other items discussed at the meeting, Burns said, per discussions happening within the state, schools could reopen to students as late as November.

In the meantime, Burns says he’s keeping the students’ best interests at heart and hopes to start the next school year as soon as possible.

“We do think that this is going to make a difference for those kids that’re struggling,” he said.

“As the summer progresses, if we get a little more freedom in movement and numbers, we could do a jump start for the school year and bring kids in with hopes that maybe by August, we would be able to start school back.”