August 27, 2020 – San Antonio ISD has shared with parents and staff that it plans to move forward in gradually allowing a small number of students onto campuses starting after Labor Day, on Sept. 8 – as long as the improvements seen in the local COVID-19 health metrics are maintained over the next week.    
  
There are three local health metrics that the District is monitoring closely: the positivity rate in Bexar County, the number of days it takes for the local case count to double (known as doubling time), and the two-week trend in daily case numbers. At this time, all three statistics meet the criteria for Level 2 Yellow on the District’s safety matrix, which allows for up to 25% of student enrollment on campuses.  
 
SAISD began school on Aug. 17 at Level 1 Red, which provided remote-only instruction. During SAISD’s Level 2 Yellow phase, the District will not bring back every student whose parents declared their preference for in-person instruction. For health and safety, SAISD will keep student numbers small in this phase. When the District reaches its Level 3 Green phase, which includes up to 50% of student enrollment on campuses, SAISD will be able to meet the initial set of parent requests for in-person learning.  
  
On Sept. 8, when the District transitions to Level 2 Yellow, up to 10% of students may return to campuses. SAISD will limit class sizes to four to six students, and campuses will begin reaching out to parents by early next week.  
  
For those students whose parents have given consent, SAISD will prioritize student return by focusing on those who will benefit most from in-person learning. Campuses will work with families to bring in small numbers of students who require services in the area of special education, are struggling academically and are at risk, or are younger learners – such as prekindergarten through second grade.  
  
If statistics remain positive, the District will bring in another 10% of students on Monday, Sept. 21. SAISD will continue to gradually increase the number of students based on local health metrics and the District’s criteria for student occupancy.  
  
“We will move into the Level 2 Yellow phase gradually,” said Superintendent Pedro Martinez, “focusing on the health and safety of students, staff and families.”  
  
“We are grateful for this opportunity to be able to slowly re-open our campuses for in-person learning. However, it is important to note that for all of this school year, we will offer a fully-remote instructional option for families who need that.”  
  
During in-person instruction, all students and staff will be required to practice physical distancing and wear face coverings, which the District is providing.   
  
For more information on SAISD’s safety matrix, visit https://www.saisd.net/safetymatrix.