Surratt

After learning in a virtual classroom setting for roughly two weeks, first-grader Jameson Bundick is looking forward to seeing his teacher and friends at Lindale ISD’s Velma Penny Elementary.

Jameson is among the first-, second- and third-graders heading back to in-person education Tuesday after school officials announced the elementary campus would close beginning Aug. 26 because of several COVID-19 cases.

His mother, Morgan Bundick, said Jameson has enjoyed the extra time with mom and dad, but being in the classroom with a teacher and fellow classmates will be better for him.

“He can’t wait to see his teacher and friends on campus and, as a parent, his happiness, emotional well-being and safety are of utmost importance,” she said. “Children thrive in environments where they can be face-to-face with their peers and learn hands-on in a school setting. Nothing compares to the real-world experience our children gain in school.”

As a speech language pathologist, Bundick says she knows the value of in-person learning for children to help with their education and socialization. She’s looking forward to a return to normal.

Lindale ISD Superintendent Stan Surratt said the entire campus was thoroughly cleaned and sanitized ahead of the reopening. The transition to online-only learning was successful.

“The transition went very well, of course with a transition that happens this quickly, there will be some hiccups and frustrations, but overall our teachers and students have done a fantastic job,” Surratt said. “They are eager to get back on campus on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day.”

Surratt explained that the temporary closure was a result of infection spreading through the teaching staff and to some students.

Bundick and her husband were initially worried when they heard about the closures, but with the help of accommodating employers they were able to adjust to virtual learning, Bundick said.

With her job, she said it was difficult to help Jameson with school and provide therapy to patients, but her husband was able to step up.

“I completed the first day of instruction by taking off of work and realized quickly this schooling was much more hands-on and would be impossible to do my job and provide any quality education to my son,” she said. “ Luckily, my husband’s job can be performed mostly from home in these emergency situations and he’s been able to work longer hours to make up for the time he’s missing due to having to teach our son.”

Bundick said the district’s staff, including Velma Penny Principal Kaela Deslatte, have all been helpful and transparent through the virtual learning transition.

Lindale ISD is utilizing the learning management system, Canvas, for in-classroom and online learners. Surratt said Canvas helped with the transition at Velma Penny.

Due to being in an online “dead-zone area,” Cindy Adams, a parent of a Velma Penny student, said her family had a few hiccups while her son, first-grader Kade Adams, completed his schoolwork.

Adams said the school has been great at assisting when problems arise.

“We are all just trying to navigate as well as possible with the kiddos’ best interest and education being the top focus,” she said. “Our family has the challenge of living in a dead-zone area, if it’s cloudy our phones hardly work, much less internet service. So as you can imagine, it is challenging to get our son’s work done.”

She’s appreciative for the work the district has done to reduce potential virus spread.

“We are feeling confident in the kids going back Tuesday,” Adams said. “We have kiddos on other Lindale campuses as well. The school has our kiddos’ best interest at heart and doing a great job and working harder than ever for our kids’ safety as well as the teachers and other staff also.”

Bundick noted that while there have been some challenges, the district was helpful to students needing to overcome any technological issues.

“The platform has definitely given many moments of frustration for many parents, but LISD has provided troubleshooting resources both online and in-person during this time,” Bundick said. “They’ve also been very accommodating with the understanding that some students may have potential barriers to learning in their home environment whether it be poor internet connection, parent work schedule, etc.”

When the closure occurred, each student received an iPad from the school to complete online tasks.

Bundick added that some teachers met with students on Zoom during the week.

“Although the circumstances have been overwhelming at times, the most prominent theme we have seen in our school’s handling of this is that we are all in this together,” she said.

Bundick reiterated she’s grateful to Lindale ISD for its efforts in protecting all students and faculty and noted that teamwork is one of the most important values as the school year continues.

“Together we will get through this, but it’s going to take a village. We are blessed to be in the best district in East Texas and are proud of our leaders,” Bundick said. “Stan Surratt, Lindale’s superintendent, and the other amazing staff within LISD continue to make us proud.”

As a district, the COVID-19 infection rate is low, according to Surratt. Lindale ISD experiences approximately one coronavirus-related case per day — some being just exposure, not infection — among its roughly 4,200 students and 600 employees, he said.

“This proved that our safety precautions and practices are working,” he said.

Over 80% of Lindale ISD families have chosen in-person instruction for their students, he added.

Surratt said the parents and staff members will be notified anytime there are COVID-19 cases.

The district will continue its contract tracing efforts to determine if the source is infection spread on a particular campus or from outside the school district, which is where most cases originate, he said.

The district is hopeful that a closure won’t be necessary again, but it will be done if it keeps students, families and staff members safe, Surratt explained.

“We will continue to do what is best for our students and in most cases being on campus is the best situation for students to maximize their learning,” he said.