Comal ISD Adds 10 Minutes to the School Day at All Campuses

Comal ISD students will spend an extra 10 minutes at school this fall, giving the district four more days to work with if COVID-19 closes campuses.

The new hours affect all grade levels, the district said in a press release today.

Schools are scheduled to reopen on Aug. 25, with the understanding that “normal” now includes proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of staff and students, and a monitoring system for COVID-19 cases.

“By adding 10 minutes to the school day we gain four extra surplus days which may be used for unforeseen closures such as COVID-19,” said Comal ISD Supt. Andrew Kim.

New hours are:

• 7:35 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. for elementary campuses
• 8:15 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. for middle-school campuses
• 8:55 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for high-school campuses.

Comal ISD said these changes already under consideration last year due to rapid area growth.

The district wants to move to a three-tier transportation system, cut student time on buses, and separate middle- and high-school students who currently ride buses together.

Other COVID-19 Changes to Expect

The district is giving parents concerned about COVID-19 two options for the 2020-21 school year:

• On-campus, in-person instruction or
• Remote learning, which will include both synchronous, live virtual instruction between teachers and students, and asynchronous, various forms of digital and online learning like prerecorded video lessons and pre-assigned work.

Comal Radio

Comal ISD also this week launched Comal Radio, designed to give parents detailed updates related to COVID-19.

Today is posted its health-and-safety guidelines and the pre-commitment survey it issued, asking parents to indicate whether they plan to keep students home or return them to campus for the 2020-21 school year.

In today’s interview, Supt. Andrew Kim sits down with Joe McKenna, the district’s executive director for safety and support. The topic includes talking points about daily health screeners, face coverings and more.

Yesterday, Kim strolled through school corridors to discuss the district’s guiding principles for relaunching the new school year.