HOUSTON – Remote Learning in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic has put the issue of digital inequality in the spotlight. For students learning remotely, being able to connect to the internet without having issues is so important. Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia recognized the need and responded by creating study zones with free WiFi access to help bridge the gap that exists for so many families. North Shore Rotary Pavilion and Clear Lake Park, Landolt PavilionStudents and families interested in using either of the two locations must first register with Harris County Precinct 2. A mobile library, part of the Harris County Public Library System is on-site with free books, Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at North Shore and Thursday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Clear Lake

HOUSTON – Two Houston-area school districts are starting to reveal how they will handle games and crowds at their stadiums and other athletic venues. Galveston ISDIn the era of COVID-19, fans coming to see the first Ball High School football game on Sept. 25 will notice some big changes. Seating capacity in all of the district’s venues will be no more than 25% until further notice. Katy ISDKaty ISD will only allow 50% capacity at its sports venues until future notice. Health & Safety ProtocolsBoth Katy and Galveston ISDs say face coverings are mandatory and they expect spectators to stay six feet away from other groups.

HOUSTON – Houston Independent School District students have been learning online for three days now and some students still don’t have the technology they need to learn from home. However, the district is considering Thursday whether to expand the virtual learning period because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 200,000 students will be learning online until at least October 19, when some are scheduled to return to in-person instruction. The administration may ask for a four-week extension to its online learning period. Parents, students and teachers should be aware that the start date is subject to change based on COVID-19 conditions.

SUGAR LAND, Texas – The deadline has been extended for Fort Bend Independent School District parents deciding if they want their children to continue virtual learning or head back to the classroom. Ft. Bend ISD Superintendent Charles Dupre said board members wanted to give more parents time to decide. Online learning vs. face-to-face instructionNinety percent of the students enrolled in Ft. Bend ISD has selected which learning model they intend to follow. Teachers, staff & students return to classroomsFt. Bend ISD administrators are still configuring the number of students set to return to each campus. What’s next in Ft. Bend ISDBoard members are set to meet Monday night.

HOUSTON – Houston Independent School District, the largest school district in Texas, is just one week away from the start of school. Connecting With FamiliesHISD wants to make sure every student in the district has what he or she needs to start the fall semester online. About a week and a half ago, close to 198,000 students were registered for virtual learning. How HISD Is Reaching Out to FamiliesWhile it’s unclear how many families HISD hasn’t been able to connect with, educators from each campus are using every avenue possible to connect with parents, including by phone and social media. “We have billboards around the city with information about how to connect with HISD to make sure your kids are enrolled,” Rodriguez said.

SUGAR LAND, Texas – Learning centers in Fort Bend Independent School District are designed to help students with unique needs by providing a safe place for them to do their online learning with adult supervision. Dr. Charles Dupre, Ft. Bend ISD’s superintendent, said the plan to roll out and open these learning centers is not going as smoothly as he had hoped. The demand for a seat is so overwhelming due to the district having trouble getting the learning centers staffed. More than 15,000 parents in the district requested seats but only 1,100 are available right now because of staffing issues. It means 4,000 to 5,000 students who are eligible and fit into the priority category are now on a waiting list.

ALIEF, Texas – Monday marks the third day of the new semester in Alief Independent School District. Student engagementTeachers are laser-focused right now on finding the best ways to monitor their students to make sure each one is participating. Chambers said student engagement has never been more important, especially when it comes to measuring their success. It’s that students are demonstrating that they are mastering the content that the teacher is teaching. One way we can measure whether they are mastering that or not is through their engagement,” Chambers said.

“I hope more parents can take their kids to school if they can,” said parent, Lesley Briggs. She added, “Just to ease the burden of the school buses and the school bus drivers.”Just like campuses and classrooms, school buses have to adapt to COVID-19. This image shows a seating plan for a Santa Fe ISD school bus. (KPRC)Cleveland ISD: Fastest-growing districtWe heard nearly identical plans when visiting the fastest-growing school district in the state -- Cleveland ISD. The district will also try to disinfect buses between routes and then the buses would be fogged with disinfectant at the end of each day.

SUGAR LAND, Texas – Virtual online learning in Fort Bend Independent School District begins Aug. 17. Fort Bend ISD is addressing parents concerns with learning centers. What are learning centers? Designated schools within Fort Bend will serve as learning centers. Who are learning centers for?

HOUSTON – Administrators at Texas Southern University are monitoring the pandemic and its impact very closely. The university is reopening the campus in phases. The fall semester was designed to ensure the health and safety of students, faculty and staff, according to the university’s interim president. Aug. 19: Class beginNov. 13: Classes endLearning Model for StudentsStudents can choose between in-person/face-to-face instruction, a hybrid model or online classes only. About every three hours, it’ll be a deeper cleaning than those in between,” said Kenneth Huewitt, interim president of Texas Southern University.

ALVIN – Alvin Independent School District, which is offering summer school, provides a preview of what schools all across of Texas are likely to look like when they open for the new school year. When walking in the hallways and in all common areas, elementary school children will be required to walk with a special rope to enforce a six-foot distance between each child. “We can tell them to social distance as much as they would like, but they need to physically see it,” Ruiz said. Each student holds on to one ball and that gives them a measurement of having social distance between them.”Once inside the classroom, children are distanced again, at least six feet apart. Children are taught a special dance to help illustrate a safe distance.

HOUSTON – The Aldine Independent School District unveiled its reopening plans for the upcoming school year. Parents learned more about the changes in a virtual town hall hosted by the district. District administrators tackled those topics, including transportation, technology, and health and safety of students, during Thursday afternoon’s virtual presentation. After that, students will have two options: continue virtual learning or head back to the classroom for in-person instruction. Student Health & SafetyEducators said the health and safety of students is their number one priority.