AUSTIN, Texas — What will school look like in the fall? It’s a question weighing heavily on every parents’ minds and one no one knows a definitive answer to just yet.

As some school districts plan to begin summer classes on June 1, many are weighing options for how to handle schooling for the fall semester while waiting for more directives from the state.

Hays CISD will be reaching out to families this summer to gauge what they’d like their children’s school days to look like.

According to a district Facebook post, there's three broad categories being considered when it comes to planning for Fall 2020: Going back to class as usual; continuing with virtual learning at home; or a mixture of the two. 

 "I think that that's a great option," parent Courtney Runkle said about the "mixed" learning option. "That's for some people but not all. We’re ready to send our kids back to school. We are very excited about school starting on the day that was originally planned." 

Runkle said online schooling went well this semester for her elementary and high school sons. She said Hays CISD as a district did well keeping parents up to date and making sure students were prepared. 

“They really have pulled together in crazy times. Communication from the teachers, Zooms, you know, for all the teachers, it really worked out really well. And it was great, but we got tired of it," Runkle said. "It wore off because my high school kid was like, ‘I’m done, I want to go back to school,’ and he wanted to see all of his friends. And the younger one was cool being home, so you know it was a mix.” 

Runkle is a part of the district’s leadership team, one of many parents who provides input to the administration which collectively gets taken to the board as recommendations. As for her opinion, Runkle is holding out for in-person learning once again, despite the uncertainty of COVID-19. 

“I'm not worried about it," Runkle said. "I've taught my children different things that we need to do to be safer, and more clean, and making sure that we're doing things that we can do to prevent the spread. And as long as we continue to do those things, and we all work together and we do what we're told, then I think we're going to do fine.” 

To help students catch up on content they may have missed, Hays CISD will incorporate tutoring opportunities into the dates on the current 2020-2021 calendar.​ 

"I love the idea that we're adding the extra hours for instruction for at-risk kids and kids that need it. I think that it's amazing that we're incorporating that and that's needed," Runkle said.

Hays CISD will be sending out a survey this summer asking for the community’s opinions on what the semester should look like given the pandemic. Runkle’s hoping to see her kids back in action come August, but knows not every parent wants the same thing. 

"We’re a real strong community, and we all pull together in some of the worst times. We've been through some pretty crazy times this last year. And so I think we're all going to be fine. We're going to do what they tell us to do," Runkle said. "We hope to be playing football games in the fall and watching our kids play sports and out on the field doing band and everything else. So we're looking for some normalcy but with some safe practices, and I think we can do that. 

Registration and enrollment pages are now live online for 2020-2021 school year on the district website. The district asks parents register students regardless of whether parents are planning to physically send their children to school in August or continue at-home instruction.  

"This will keep you in our student information system, allow us to assign teachers and schedules to your child, and help us plan for the fall," the Hays CISD Facebook post reads. 

While Hays CISD is not planning to hold summer school in-person and is opting for virtual, self-paced learning starting June 1, the Texas Education Agency recently released updated guidelines for districts, parents, and students. Summer school attendance in person at school must be optional for students and students may not be required to attend in-person, according to the TEA.