September 18, 2020

BE INFORMED

We want our community members and voters to be informed on what’s proposed in the May bond election and give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Please join us at one of our informational presentations to learn more.

• Wednesday, September 23 - Lago Vista Bond Zoom Presentation at 6:00pm
• Monday, September 28 - Lago Vista Bond Zoom Presentation at 6:00pm
• Tuesday, October 6 - Lago Vista Bond Zoom Presentation at 6:00pm
• Sunday, October 11 - North Shore Democratic Party - 4pm
• Tuesday, October 13 - Point Venture Lions Club - 7pm
• Monday, October 21 - Lago Vista Bond Zoom Presentation at 6:00pm
• Wednesday, October 28 - Lago Vista Bond Zoom Presentation at 6:00pm

   

August 31, 2020

Lago Vista ISD Return to School Plan

Dear Viking Families,

We hope the 2020-2021 school year is off to a great (albeit very different) start. Our teachers and administrators have really enjoyed welcoming back all of our students this year and are equally excited to welcome our face-to-face learners back to the campuses next week.

We ask that all parents please take a moment to review our updated Lago Vista ISD Return to School Plan.

This document provides an updated plan for face-to-face safety and health protocols, operational protocols for both on-campus and virtual learning, and an explanation of what teaching and learning look like in both settings.

You will receive a number of updates and information from your campus principals in the coming days, but we do want to make clear that, due to the introduction of a hybrid schedule on Wednesdays at our secondary campuses:

In-person instruction will resume on Wednesday, September 9th for grades Pre-K through 5; and

In-person instruction will resume on Thursday, September 10th for grades 6 through 12.

Please know that given the ever-changing nature of our current public health conditions, these plans are likely to continue evolving and changing. No matter what, rest assured that we are committed to doing everything they can to support your student’s learning, growth, and development this year and we are so appreciative of your patience and grace as we have worked to finalize our plans for a successful year.

If you have any questions about the contents of this plan, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Lago Vista ISD Return to School Plan
Plan Para el Regreso a la Escuela, 2020-2021

August 21, 2020

2020 COVID -19 PROTOCOL: Lago Vista Athletic Department

Protocol Goals:
01. To provide a safe practice and game environment for players and coaches.
02. To keep the team healthy for academic and district play purposes.
03. To improve players’ interpersonal, social, physical, academic skills and community awareness.

What Players Need To Keep In Mind:
01. These are NOT normal times...(read protocols in its entirety)

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July 29, 2020

No more paper applications to complete and return to the school office. Apply for meal benefits online from the privacy of your home, or anywhere with an internet connection. Go to MySchoolApps to apply. 

No más solicitudes impresas para llenar y entregar en la oficina escolar. Haga su solicitud de beneficios de comidas en línea desde la privacidad de su hogar o desde cualquier lugar con conexión a Internet. Visite MySchoolApps.

 

July 15, 2020

Dear Viking Family,

As you may already know, Austin Public Health issued an order to all independent districts and private schools operating in Travis County to delay the reopening of campus face-to-face instruction until after Monday, September 7, 2020. This order includes suspending all athletics and extracurricular activities. However, according to the order, remote instruction shall be permitted as per a school district’s plan. As a result of this order, we will begin the 2020-2021 school year on Thursday, August 13th with remote learning at home for all students.

Clearly, the local public health circumstances are changing rapidly. We are in the process of determining how this new order might affect the return to face-to-face instruction for Lago Vista ISD. Our administrative team is shifting gears to finalize a remote instructional model for all students to start the school year. I can assure you that we are much better prepared to make this shift than we were in March. We have a great staff and I am confident that we will meet this challenge and provide the very best instructional experience possible to the students of Lago Vista ISD.

Although it will clearly be delayed until after September 7th, we are still working to finalize the plan for our return to face-to-face instruction. As previously mentioned, TEA guidance allows Lago Vista ISD to offer families two options for the upcoming school year: fully face-to-face classroom learning or fully remote at-home learning. I am including a link to the draft of our plan so that parents may use it to help inform their decision of the best instructional model for their student. Please understand that as guidance and regulations change, so will this plan.

Instructional & Operational Protocols for Protecting the Health of Students and Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic

After reviewing the options, parents will complete the election form to select either fully face-to-face or fully remote instruction. Election forms will be available in Ascender Parent Portal beginning next week. For more information on setting up your Parent Portal account, please visit Ascender Parent Portal.

Please know that decisions for the new school year are guided by the highest concern and care for staff and student safety, as well as providing the best learning experiences and environments possible. We will continue to operate within the guidelines and requirements mandated by Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Education Agency, and Austin Public Health, taking all precautions available to us to operate schools safely and effectively. Without a doubt, this is a constantly evolving process, and we will continue to update you as quickly as possible.

We understand that these changes bring frustration. I continue to be incredibly grateful for your continued patience, understanding, and flexibility during this time.

Sincerely,

Darren Webb
Superintendent
Lago Vista ISD

LVISD Announces New Principal for LV High SchoolJuly 13, 2020

Lago Vista ISD is pleased to announce that Mr. Denton “Stu” Taylor has been hired as the new principal of Lago Vista High School. The Board of Trustees approved Mr. Taylor’s appointment to this position on Thursday, July 9, 2020.

Taylor served as the assistant principal at Lago Vista High School for two years where he played an instrumental role in coordinating and facilitating campus-wide safety processes and discipline with an emphasis on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Prior to this role, Mr. Taylor served in multiple administrative roles, including serving as the Senior Executive Director of School Improvement and as the principal who opened Vista Ridge High School in Leander ISD.

With over three decades of service in Texas schools, Mr. Taylor is excited to take his place at the helm of Lago Vista High School. “I look forward to teaming up with the amazing Lago Vista High School staff and community,” Taylor said. “Together we will face the challenges in front of us, and more importantly, we will grow together by creating opportunities to engage with students.”

Taylor earned a master’s degree in educational administration and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and kinesiology from Texas State University in San Marcos.

“Stu Taylor is a tremendous asset and leader to the Lago Vista High School community and has played an integral role in the success the campus has seen,” Superintendent Darren Webb said. “I’m certain that as principal, he will continue to lead and partner with the students, parents, and community of Lago Vista High School to continue and expand the tradition of excellence.”

Superintendent Update: 2020-2021 PlanningJune 29, 2020

Dear Viking Family,

Although the official start of school is still six weeks away, I know that learning more about how school will operate for the 2020-2021 school year is at the top of your mind.  Like many of you, I have been monitoring the recent shifts in the pandemic and I share your desire to learn more about how it will affect the upcoming school year.

As you may know, the state recently announced that Texas public schools will reopen this fall. We continue to await guidance from Governor Abbott’s office and the Texas Education Agency as to what that reopening will look like. Our specific plans for reopening will clearly be required to adhere to the state’s requirements. While there remains much to be decided, there are several things I can share as we plan for next year.

• School will start on August 13th, as planned.  There continue to be no plans to adjust the 2020-2021 school calendar.  
• Lago Vista ISD will offer families two options for the upcoming school year: face-to-face classroom learning or fully remote at-home learning. The face-to-face option will include reduced class sizes, appropriate health protocols, and minimized transitions. It is our goal for the face-to-face option to follow as traditional a schedule as possible.  The remote option will include teacher-led instruction, regular "live" teacher-student engagement opportunities, and required daily check-ins/progress for attendance purposes.  Instruction for both options will address the same Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
• All stakeholders should expect the possibility of additional COVID-19-related disruptions and closures in the 2020-2021 school year.  The emergence of positive cases of COVID-19 within our community and our schools should be anticipated and will necessitate the exclusion of students, classes, and possibly entire campuses from face-to-face instruction.  If and when this happens, remote learning will be instituted, as appropriate.  To ensure a more seamless shift to remote learning, if needed, Lago Vista ISD is taking proactive steps, such as assigning District-owned devices to all students and implementing a blended instructional model for face-to-face learning. 
• Bus transportation will be extremely limited to ensure the safety of our students and bus drivers.  In order to uphold physical distancing protocols, a conventional 72-passenger bus will be limited to 12 available seats (with a potential of up to 24 passengers if family groups are seated together).  This drastic reduction in the number of students that can be transported on a bus at one time will require a substantial reduction in overall ridership.  Lago Vista ISD is asking all parents/guardians to arrange alternate transportation for their children to and from school, if possible.  For those students who must participate in bus transportation, a health screening will be conducted before boarding and masks will be required (with exceptions for certain medical conditions). Buses will be loaded back-to-front by stop and seats will be assigned.  Family groups will be permitted to sit together.  Students will be required to remain in their designated seats at all times.
• School start and end times may be adjusted.  Lago Vista ISD will continue to run a single morning bus route.  We are investigating an option to also run a single afternoon bus route in order to slightly extend the length of our elementary/intermediate school instructional day.  This adjustment would allow for additional instructional minutes in the school calendar and up to 10 additional days for COVID-19-related closure without having to make up the days.   This adjustment would also shorten the length of our middle school/high school instructional day.  
• In-person operations will look different.  Lago Vista ISD’s goal will be for our day to look and feel as normal as possible, but there will be noticeable changes.  A health screening will be required each school day for all staff and students reporting in-person. School schedules and building traffic patterns will be revised to ensure safe distancing practices.  Where feasible, students will be kept in cohorts and transitions will be minimized.  Only essential visitors will be allowed to enter school buildings and will be required to participate in a health screening and to wear a mask.
• We need input from 100% of our parents to finalize the very best plans for the fall.  Last month, parents of over 775 students participated in a survey that provided us with incredibly useful information.  Since then, however, there have been drastic changes in the pandemic’s course that may have an impact on these initial responses.  Today, I am asking every parent to complete a brief 10 question survey for each student to provide us with updated information about your level of comfort with returning this fall and your preferences related to the instructional options.  The more participation we have, the better we will be able to plan.  To complete this survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5TVHLTM. 
• Parents will select instructional options in mid-July.  Once we receive the much-anticipated guidance from the state, Lago Vista ISD will provide our families with significantly more detailed plans about our face-to-face and remote learning options.  At that time, we will also ask our families to officially commit to one of the two instructional options. Parents who select the in-person instructional option will also be asked to opt-in for transportation. 

I know that our families have varying levels of comfort about sending their children back to school this fall. No matter which instructional option works best for your family, please know that our educators are excited to work with your children and support them in their learning journey next year.

Please also know how much we appreciate your patience, flexibility, and resilience, as this situation has evolved since early March. We are incredibly proud of how our community has come together and is working to keep our students learning and the school district running during this uncertain time. We look forward to making the 2020-2021 school year a continuation of the excellence you have come to expect.

I wish you and your family good health.

Darren Webb
Superintendent
Lago Vista ISD

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