When Richardson ISD opens classrooms to students in September, not all will choose to return. The school district will continue the virtual instruction program it began on Aug. 19 for all students and give families a choice of continuing online learning if they wish. Districtwide, 54% have chosen face to face learning and 46% have selected virtual instruction, though students may change their method of learning at the end of each nine-week grading period.
Parents and teachers are applauding choices offered by the district, but some have noticed a worrisome trend. Of the eight schools where 60% or more parents opted to send their students to class in person, six are majority white schools, with white students comprising 65-87% of enrollees. Of the eight schools where 60% or more parents chose virtual learning, all eight are majority-minority schools, with white students making up just 4-27% of the student body.
Schools where families chose mostly face to face learning:
- Prairie Creek Elementary 82% F2F, white students 87%
- White Rock Elementary 73% F2F, white students 75%
- Bowie Elementary 72% F2F, white students 72%
- Canyon Creek Elementary 72% F2F, white students 73%
- Carolyn Bukhair Elementary 71% F2F, white students 3%
- Mohawk Elementary 71% F2F, white students 83%
- Richardson North Junior High 68% F2F, white students 39%
- Spring Creek Elementary 66% F2F, white students 67%
Schools where families chose mostly virtual learning:
- Richardson Terrace Elementary 65% virtual, white students 27%
- Audelia Creek Elementary 64% virtual, white students 4%
- Mark Twain Elementary 64% virtual, white students 7%
- Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet 63% virtual, white students 25%
- Math/Science/Technology Magnet 63% virtual, white students 23%
- Springridge Elementary 62% virtual, white students 24%
- O Henry Elementary 61% virtual, white students 12%
- Richland Elementary 60% virtual, white students 16%
- Demographics source: Schooldigger.com
During the school board’s study session Monday night, trustees Regina Harris and Debbie Renteria expressed concern that minority voices in the district are not being heard.
“The reason I took the oath of office is to make sure that our kids’ safety is my top concern – not just my student but all students,” said Harris, who has a senior at Richardson High and represents Hamilton Park. “I do hear the numbers – 53% want to return to face to face. My big concern is that I’m almost positive that those numbers include such a small percentage of our minority community. We’ve got to figure out a way, and it’s part of my responsibility as a board trustee, to get our minority community visible, speaking up, speaking out and allowing us to hear their voices and their choices.”
“Even in the comments that I was listening to tonight,” said Harris of the more than 3 hours of parent-submitted pleas to reopen schools, “I’m just going to lean on the fact that most of those people did not look like me.”
Renteria, who represents majority-minority District 3, also spoke out on behalf of families of color in the district. She particularly petitioned for live translations of board meetings for parents, otherwise excluded from receiving information and petitioning to influence the board’s decision-making.
“The largest demographic group in our district – the largest one in our district – are Latinos,” said Renteria. “How many emails came from those individuals? How many of them had a voice? How many even know they have a voice?”
“With a demographic group as large as this, and with the resources that this district has, we need to get the information out, especially everything that was talked about today,” continued Renteria. “If we’re going to keep talking about equity, there has to be equity in opportunity, there has to be equity in resources.”
“We have got to figure out a way to get everyone up and running on these board meetings,” said Harris, “whatever way that is, whatever language, whatever model they pick or choose – we’ve got to get them involved. Otherwise they’re underrepresented and we’re going back to school with just one voice.”
You may watch the full board meeting recording and hear the parent-submitted questions using this link.
