Hurricane Harvey: School Districts Announce Start Dates To Return To Class

HOUSTON, TX — School districts that were closed as Hurricane Harvey battered the Texas coast won’t be forced to make up those missed days, according to the Texas Education Agency.

The devastation of Hurricane Harvey pushed the first day of school for a number of districts back at least two weeks, while causing other districts that started their school year on Aug. 21, to miss more than a week of classes. (Want to get daily updates about Hurricane Harvey and other events going on in your area? Sign up for the free Houston Patch morning newsletter.)

In a memorandum dated Sept. 1, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath said the school districts in 58 Texas counties that are listed in Gov. Greg Abbott’s disaster declaration must start or resume classes between Sept. 5 through Sept. 8, or they will need to apply for a waiver for four missed school days.

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“The health, safety and welfare of the students, teachers, and staff of these affected school districts and charter schools is my priority,” Morath said in his memorandum. “While these additional days may not resolve all issues, it is my hope that this additional time will allow school districts and charter schools to address and remediate the damage and reopen by Monday, Sept. 11, 2017.”

Many of the larger school districts are still assessing their campuses and will be starting or resuming classes after Labor Day, while a few others will start later.

School districts starting before Sept 11 include:

• Friendswood ISD — Sept. 6
• Tomball ISD — Sept 5
• Pearland ISD — Sept 5
• Humble ISD — Sept. 7
• Klein ISD — Sept. 6
• Conroe ISD — Sept 5
• Galveston ISD — Sept 5
• Alvin ISD — Sept. 6
• Cy Fair ISD — Sept 6
• Aldine ISD — Sept 7
• Montgomery ISD — Sept 5
• New Caney ISD — Sept 6
• Willis ISD — Sept 5
• Santa Fe ISD — Sept. 6
• Stafford MSD — Sept 7

School Districts returning on Sept. 11, 2017 include:

• Houston ISD
• Clear Creek ISD
• Spring ISD
• Dickinson ISD
• Fort Bend ISD
• Lamar CISD

Districts starting on or after Sept 11, will have to apply for the waiver through the TEA. As a result of this waiver, school systems in disaster counties that have missed school days as referenced above due to the hurricane will not have to make up those days on the school calendar, Morath said.

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